11th December, 2020
A Federal High Court sitting in Kano on Friday discharged and acquitted a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alhaji Aminu Wali allegedly accused of laundering N950 million.
The court also discharged and acquitted on the same charge, Mr Mansur Ahmad, the Kano State Campaign Coordinator to former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Wali was arraigned in May 2018, alongside Ahmad and a former Governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
It was alleged that they collected cash payment of N950 million which contravenes the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011.
EFCC alleged that the defendants had on March 27, 2015, collected cash payment of N950 million from Mrs Nenadi Usman, Director of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 2015 Presidential Campaign Group.
It said that the offence contravened Section 1(a) of the Money Laundering Act 2011, and was punishable under Section 16 (2) (b) of the same Act.
The trial judge, Justice Lewis Allagoa, while delivering judgement said that the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubts that the transaction did not follow financial institution rules.
Allagoa said that the prosecution evidence showed that the defendants collected the money but failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that it did not pass through financial institutions.
The judge, therefore, discharged and acquitted the defendants.
The court had earlier discharged Ibrahim Shekarau of the charge.