Malabu oil scandal: Court discharges, acquits ex-Attorney-General Adoke
The Federal Capital Territory, FCT High Court in Jabi, Abuja, has dismissed charges of fraud, bribery and conspiracy filed against a former Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), AIT reports.
Justice Abubakar Kutigi while ruling on the no-case submission filed by Adoke, noted that the EFCC failed to prove its charges of fraud, bribery, and money laundering.
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While ruling that the defendant has no case to answer, the trial Judge discharged and acquitted the former minister on all counts. Justice Kutigi also said the allegation of illegal tax waivers granted to Shell and Eni was not corroborated by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) or any other authority.
On the alleged N300 million bribe said to have been given to Adoke by Aliyu Abubakar, the court ruled that the EFCC did not provide the necessary evidence to prove its case.
The anti graft agency however insisted that Rasky Gbinigie had a case to answer over the alleged forgery of company documents to remove the name of Mohammed Abacha as a director of Malabu Oil & Gas Ltd, after conceding that it did not have sufficient evidence to oppose the no case application by Adoke.
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The EFCC brought Adoke before the FCT high court, Abuja, on January 15, 2020, alongside Aliyu Abubakar, Rasky Gbinije of Malabu Oil & Gas Ltd, Nigeria Agip Exploration Ltd, Shell Ultra Deep Nigeria Ltd, and Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Company Ltd (SNEPCo).
Adoke was accused of collecting a gratification of N300 million from Abubakar over the OPL 245 resolution.
He was also accused of conspiring with other defendants to “commit the offence of public servant disobeying direction of law with intent to cause injury or to save person from punishment or property from forfeiture”.
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