A Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, on Wednesday remanded ex-Finance commissioner in the state, Ademola Banu, in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged money laundering.
Banu, an engineer, served under former governor AbdulFatah Ahmed.
The Ilorin zonal office of the anti-graft agency arraigned the commissioner alongside Travel Messenger Company Ltd and Mr. Olarewaju Adeniyi on a nine-count charge at the court.
The EFCC alleged that the defendants conspired among themselves to launder about N411 million belonging to the Kwara State Government.
The charges read: “That you, Olarewaju Adeniyi, Ademola Banu and Travel Messenger Limited between January and December 2018 in Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this honourable court conspired among yourselves to commit an offence, to with: conversion of the sum of N411,000,000.00 (four hundred and eleven million naira) only property of Kwara State Government, which sum you reasonably ought to know was derived from fraud, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) of the money laundering (prohibition) (amendment) act, 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) and (4) of the same act.”
The accused person pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them.
Counsel to the EFCC, Nnaemeka Omewa, told the presiding judge: “My following the plea of not guilty entered by the defendants, the prosecution shall be asking this honourable court to give a trial date to enable us prove our case. We also want you to remand the defendants at a correctional facility pending the hearing and determination of this case.”
Defence counsel Gboyega Oyewole and Bamidele Ibironke urged the court to grant bail to their clients, arguing that the offences in which the defendants are standing trial are bailable.
Prosecuting counsel in opposing the bail applications, filed a counter-affidavit and urged the judge not to accede to the request.
Justice Babagana Ashigar adjourned the ruling of the application till February 10.