28th January, 2021
By Akin Kuponiyi
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria on Thursday adjourned the trial of Mr. Malik Wakili alleged to have impersonated the Minister of Work and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN till 25 February, 2021.
The adjournment became necessary, because the presiding Judge, Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke did not sit due to the demise of their colleague justice Ibrahim Watila who died on Monday after a brief illness.
The burial ceremony commenced in Abuja today.
Malik Wakili was arraigned before the court in December 2019 on three count-charge by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC for allegedly impersonating the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), and defrauded him of N3,106, 216.
He was alleged to have conspired with one Abdullahi Umar, said to be at large, “to fraudulently impersonate Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), with intent to gain monetary advantage for themselves.”
“The defendant was alleged to have converted the total sum of N3,106,216, being the value of the Air-Miles Skywards Account Number EK248739282 of Mr. Babatunde Fashola with the Emirate Airline and which sum he reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of his unlawful activity, to wit: fraud.”
The offence alleged to have been committed by the defendant is contrary to sections 15(2)(a) and 27(1)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act and was liable to be punished under sections 15(3) and 22(3)(a) of the same Act.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge.