6th December, 2012
Nnamdi Felix / Abuja
Former Works and Housing minister, Mr. Hassan Lawal, on Thursday opened his defence before a Federal High Court siting in Abuja in a money laundering charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Lawal told the court that the N43.4 million which is the subject of the money laundering charge was the proceed of his landed
property in Nassarawa state which he sold to repay a bank loan.
While adopting his argument for a no case submission over his trial, Lawal said he took a loan from United Bank for Africa, UBA, Plc to buy a former inspector general of police, Tafa Balogun’s house at Asokoro district in Abuja which the EFCC had seized and
offered to sell to him.
He further argued that he sold his landed property to repay the loan and that it was the proceed of that property he
credited to his UBA Plc account that has become the subject of money
laundering charge which the EFCC brought against him.
Lawal’s lawyer, Mr. M.A. Odeh, asked the court to strike out the charge against his client on the grounds that the sale of a landed property can never constitute an illicit act or illegal source of fund.
“I wish to draw the attention of the court to evidence of prosecution witnesses ( PW1, PW2, PW3, PW5) which have been so discredited during cross-examinations. The court cannot take cognizance of them as
properly supporting offence charge on the accused” the lawyer contended.
He further argued that the testimonies of the prosecution witnesses clearly stated before the court, indicate that the funds based on normal banking transaction.
He poined out that the Prosecution witness 2 who is a former staff of the EFCC in his testimony stated that Lawal bought the Asokoro house from the EFCC, while Prosecution witness 3 and 5 who are staff of
UBA also affirmed that the former minister took loan from the bank and lodged the proceeds of the sale of a landed property in Nassarawa state to off-set the loan.
But the EFCC however asked the court to discountenance the submission of the
accused and insisted that the former minister has a case to answer.
The court presided by Justice Adamu Bello subsequently adjourned to February 25 to rule on Lawal’s no case application.
The EFCC’s lawyer, Mr. Wahab Shittu, had earlier told the court that the former minister used one Mr. Adesanya Adewale, an ex-staff of UBA to launder N43.4 million. The lawyer said that all the prosecution
witnesses had testified that the deposits were made in three transactions of N3 million, N4 million and N8.9 million at different times.
Mr. Shittu further submitted that one of the witnesses had shown the court how the ex-minister conspired with Mr. Adewole to effect
other transactions of N15 million and N12.5 million and argued that the transactions were meant to be concealed from the
public.
The ex-minister’s lawyer insisted that the deposits were genuine transactions made by his client as payment for a housing loan procured from the bank.
Mr. Lawal is standing trial on allegations of misappropriation of funds meant for the rehabilitation of the Guto-Bagana Bridge, across River Benue.
The anti-graft body had charged the ex-minister and Mr. Adewole for illegally moving monies that were not traceable to any sources. Mr. Shittu explained that the action was a contravention of the Money
Laundering Act 2004.