Former Lagos AG arraigned over $200, 000 laundering

Olasupo Shasore (SAN), a former Lagos attorney general and commissioner for justice, was charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday with allegedly laundering $200,000.

Shasore, who was the AG under previous Governor Babatunde Fashola's government, was taken before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke and presented with a four-count charge with the case number FHC/L/447C/2022.

The charge was filed at 1:30 p.m. on August 18, 2022, but The Nation saw that it was dated August 12, 2022.

It stated that Shasore committed the offence on or around November 18, 2014, according to the EFCC.

Olufolakemi Adelore, a former legal director at the Petroleum Ministry, was allegedly coerced into receiving a $100,000 cash payment without going through a financial institution by the defendant, according to the anti-graft agency's accusation.

Additionally, he was accused of paying Adelore $100,000 in cash through Messrs. Auwalu Habu and Wole Aboderin.

The former attorney general of Lagos State is also accused of inducing and making a cash payment of $100,000 to Ikechukwu Oguine without going through a financial institution, according to the allegation.

The amounts surpassed what was allowed by law, according to the anti-graft agency.

It added that the alleged offences contravened sections 78(c); 1(a) and 16(1)(d) and 18(c) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and were punishable under sections 16(6) and 16 (2)(b) of the same Act.

Shasore pleaded not guilty.

Adeyemi Candide-Johnson, Dr. Muiz Banire, Segun Ajibola, and Chijioke Okoli, members of his defence team and Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), pleaded with the judge to grant the defendant bail on self-recognizance.

The application was backed up by a 20-paragraph affidavit signed by lawyer Orji Agwu Uka.

Bala Sanga, the attorney for the prosecution, stated that the prosecution was simply concerned with the case's merits and did not object to their request.

Justice Aneke's decision allowed Shasore to post bail in the amount of N50 million with two sureties in the same amount.

A permanent secretary or director in the Lagos State civil service must also be one of the sureties, according to the judge's order.

The trial's start date was postponed by the judge to November 24.

Source