March 16, 2023

The trial in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s money laundering suit against former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lagos State, Olasupo Shasore, SAN, was on Thursday stalled.

The trial of former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lagos State, Olasupo Shasore, SAN, at a Federal High Court, Abuja, has been stalled.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Shasore on a 14-count money laundering charge before Justice Inyang Ekwo.

EFCC had, on Nov. 4, 2022, arraigned the ex-commissioner alongside his company, Middlesex Investments Ltd. before Justice Ekwo.

While the Federal Republic of Nigeria is the complainant in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/386/22 filed on Aug. 17, 2022 by the EFCC’s counsel, Bala Sanga, Middlesex Investments Ltd and Shasore are 1st and 2nd defendants respectively.

Shasore was alleged to be a director and a signatory to the company’s Guaranty Trust Bank account number: 0005659394.

The former commissioner, however, pleaded not guilty to the offences alleged to have been committed along with the company.

He was granted bail in terms of the administrative bail earlier granted him by the EFCC.

The court had, after arraignment, fixed March 13 to March 17 for trial commencement.

The judge, who fixed the date, said that the trial would be on a day-to-day basis.

However, the matter could not proceed this week duo to the ongoing judges training at the National Judicial Institute (NJI), Abuja, where Justice Ekwo was also a participant.

The matter had been fixed for May 9 and May 10 for trial.

The EFCC, in count one, alleged that between Sept. 3 and Sept. 11, 2014, the firm and Mr Shasore failed to report in writing to the agency a single lodgment transaction of the sum of N60 million from Mandivera Global Resources Limited into the company’s GTB account.

Also in count five, the EFCC alleged that between Aug. 26 and Sept. 3, 2019, the defendants failed to report in writing to the agency a single transfer transaction of the sum of 30, 000 dollars ($30,000.00) from the GTB account number 0005659435 of Middlesex Investments Ltd to the account of Olasupo Shasore.

The agency said the action was in breach of Section 10(1)b of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 10(3) of the same act.(NAN)