The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Thursday, re-arraigned a former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke and others before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on the Oil Prospecting License (OPL) 245, otherwise known as Malabu Oil.
Adoke was re-arraigned alongside six others: Aliyu Abubakar; Rasky Gbinigie; Malabu Oil and Gas Limited; Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited; Shell Nigeria Extra Deep Limited and Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Company Limited.
They were re-arraigned on a 42-count charge bordering on the Malabu Oil scam.
The former AGF and the other defendants were first arraigned in the case marked FCT/CR/151/2020 before Justice Idris Kutigi, sitting at Gwagwalaga, Abuja, by the anti-corruption commission on January 23, 2020 on 42-count charge.
At the resumed hearing of the case on Thursday, the prosecuting counsel, Bala Sanga, told the court that the commission had filed an amended charge dated January 18, 2021 against the defendants and urged the court to allow the charges to be read to them to take their fresh plea.
Thereafter, the charges were read to the defendants who pleaded not guilty.
Following their not guilty plea, Sanga asked for date for commencement of trial.Based on agreement of parties, Justice Kutigi adjourned the case till April 14-15 for hearing.
The judge ordered Adoke, Aliyu and Gbinigie to remain on bail earlier granted them by the court.
Nigerian Tribune