Ex-AGF Malami, son plead not guilty to money laundering charges
Immediate past Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has denied the N12 billion money laundering charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Malami and his co-defendants, facing 16-count charges, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Dressed in a yellow guinea brocade with a matching cap, the former AGF appeared undisturbed in the dock and vehemently dismissed the charges one after the other.
Malami, his son Abdulaziz Malami, and an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Limited, Hajia Asabe Bashir, are accused of conspiracy and concealment of proceeds of unlawful activities running into billions of naira. The defendants are said to have committed the alleged offences between November 2015 and June 2025.
Malami, who served as Minister of Justice under former President Muhammadu Buhari, has been in EFCC custody since December 8, following his failure to meet bail conditions granted to him by the agency.
In the suit filed by Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, the EFCC alleged that the unlawfully acquired funds were used to purchase luxury properties in Abuja, Kebbi, Kano, and other locations.
In count one, Malami and his son were said to have, between July 2022 and June 2025, “procured METROPOLITAN AUTO TECH LIMITED to conceal the unlawful origin of the total sum of N1,014,848,500.00 in the Sterling Bank Plc Account No. 0079182387,” when they reasonably ought to have known that the sum formed proceeds of unlawful activities, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 21(c) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.
In count two, Malami and his son were alleged to have procured the same METROPOLITAN AUTO TECH LIMITED to conceal the unlawful origin of another sum exceeding N600 million.
