Judge chides EFCC as agency’s late filing of amended charges stalls Adoke’s trial

Mr Mohammed Adoke’s (SAN) trial over alleged money laundering to the tune of N527 million was stalled on Monday following the late filing of amended charges by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Adoke, a former attorney general of the federation and minister of justice, was arraigned in court in February, 2020 by the EFCC.

The anti-graft agency re-arraigned him on June 17 alongside a businessman, Abubakar Aliyu on seven-count charges.

When the matter resumed on Monday, prosecution counsel, Bala Sanga told the court that an additional seven-counts had been made against Adoke, making the total counts 14.

Sanga said that the development was due to additional evidence the commission got against Adoke. He added that the fresh charges had been served on all the defendants.

READ ALSO: MALABU OIL SCAM: EFCC speaks on dropping charges against former AGF Adoke

But the trial judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja criticised the EFCC.

He frowned that “from June 17 to July 17,” the EFCC did nothing, saying what that meant was that the agency had one month but failed to file the amended charge.

“Just a few days to the trial, you filed an amended charge, a few days to when the trial is to commence,” the judge said.

The trial is expected to resume on Tuesday, August 4.

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