Malabu Oil Deal: EFCC Files Fresh Charges Against Ex-AGF Adoke
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed fresh charges against a former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke.
The EFCC on behalf of the Federal Government arraigned Adoke on Monday before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
The former minister is being charged along with his co-defendant, Aliyu Abubakar, on six counts bordering on money laundering and criminal diversion of funds in the Malabu oil deal.
They, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Naijaparry reports that Adoke had been granted bail in the sum of N50m and one surety by a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Gwagwalada.
According to the ruling by Justice Othman Musa, the surety must be a Nigerian citizen with landed property within the jurisdiction of the court and must also appear with the defendant throughout the period of trial.
The court also asked Adoke to submit his international passport with the Registrar of the court.
The former minister is facing charges bordering on alleged abuse of office and money laundering as regards the granting of the Oil Prospecting License (OPL) 245 to Shell and ENI, also known as Malabu oil scam.
The EFCC had earlier filed 12 counts against Adoke, Abubakar, Rasky Gbinigie, as well as Malabu Oil and Gas Limited.
Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited, Shell Nigeria Ultra Deep Limited, and Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Company Limited were also charged.
But since the anti-graft agency could not produce the defendants in court, it approached the aforementioned FCT high court on 17 April, 2019, to secure a warrant of arrest against them.
Adoke was arrested in December, 2019, by International Police Organisation (INTERPOL) after he touched down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, from the United Arab Emirates.
He was later handed over to the EFCC.