- Court admitted nine exhibits in Malami money laundering trial
- EFCC alleges ₦8.7 billion linked to unlawful activities
- Witness detailed multiple transactions involving associated companies
A Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, on Monday admitted nine documentary exhibits against a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami.
The exhibits were tendered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in the ongoing trial involving the defendants over alleged money laundering.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the anti graft agency is prosecuting the trio on an amended 16 count charge bordering on conspiracy, procuring, disguising, concealing and laundering proceeds of unlawful activities amounting to ₦8,713,923,759.49, contrary to the Money Laundering Act, 2022.
The documents were presented through the fourth prosecution witness, Mashelia Arhyel Bata, a compliance officer with Zenith Bank. Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, J. S. Okutepa, the witness said he received requests from the EFCC for documents relating to accounts linked to the defendants and associated companies.
“I work as a compliance officer with Zenith Bank, Maitama branch. My duty includes receiving correspondence from law enforcement agencies and responding accordingly,” he said.
Bata told the court that the bank provided both soft and hard copies of documents covering accounts linked to the defendants and firms including Rayhaan Hotels Limited, Rayhaan Bustan Agro Allied Limited, Nashab Limited, Golden Age Global Ventures and Rahamaniyya Properties Limited.
“My lord, the documents are nine,” he said.
The court admitted the documents, dated between July 19, 2024 and March 12, 2026, as Exhibits D1 to D9, despite an initial objection by defence counsel, J. B. Daudu, who noted that “the dates are almost all in March.”
Further testifying, the witness detailed transactions contained in the exhibits. He said one account recorded total credits of ₦383,637,21.55 between 2016 and 2023, while ₦560,506,465.12 was recorded between 2012 and 2015.
On debits, he said ₦384,322,120.85 was recorded between 2016 and 2023, while ₦571,891,174.08 was debited between 2012 and 2015.
He also identified major inflows, including ₦194,791,608.00 from New Horizons Limited on November 11, 2020, ₦622,500,000.00 from Rayhaan Bustan Agro Allied Limited on June 24, 2022, and two separate ₦250 million transfers from Rayhaan Hotels Limited in July 2022.
The EFCC told the court that the transactions run into billions as the trial continues.
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