Former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, are set to resume their bail battle on Monday, December 2, over the N9 billion money laundering charges filed against them by the Federal Government.
The former AGF, his son, and Hajia Bashir Asabe, a staff member of Ramadiya Property Limited, who is currently remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre, are expected to be produced before the Federal High Court in Abuja from prison custody for the hearing of their bail applications.
Justice Emeka Nwite had earlier fixed the date for the bail hearing after the trio were arraigned on 16 counts of money laundering.
At their previous arraignment, the defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on behalf of the Federal Government.
During proceedings, counsel to the defendants, Joseph Daudu, SAN, made an oral application for bail, arguing that the offences were bailable and not capital in nature.
“The offences of money laundering are bailable. The charges are not complicated, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty,” Daudu told the court, urging Justice Nwite to grant them bail.
However, counsel to the EFCC, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, opposed the oral application, insisting that bail applications must be supported by affidavit evidence in line with Section 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).
He argued that the factors guiding the court’s discretion on bail could only be properly determined through written applications supported by affidavits, allowing both the prosecution and defence to present their facts.
In his ruling, Justice Nwite rejected the oral bail application and directed both parties to file and argue written bail applications, adjourning the matter to today for hearing.
The EFCC had arraigned Malami and the two other defendants on 16 counts of money laundering, bordering on alleged financial transactions amounting to N9 billion.