Ex-minister, SAN arraigned for Money Laundering
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday arraigned a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dele Belgore, for alleged money laundering.
The SAN was arraigned alongside a former Minister of National Planning, Abubakar Suleiman, before Justice R. M. Aikawa of the Federal High Court, Lagos.
Suleiman, a professor of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Abuja, and Belgore, a former governorship aspirant in Kwara State, were accused of laundering N500 million.
The EFCC alleged that the SAN and the don conspired to commit the offense on March 27, 2015.
They were accused of making two separate cash payments of N450 million and N50 million on March 27, 2015, without going through any financial institution.
The EFCC claimed that the defendants paid the N50 million to one Sheriff Shagaya.
The EFCC said that the money was above the lawful threshold permitted under the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.
The EFCC claimed that the defendants “ought to have reasonably known that the N450 million and N50 million formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act.”
Belgore and Suleiman were accused of violating Sections 1(a), 16(d), 15(2)(d) and18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2.
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