The former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos State, Supo Shasore (SAN) on Tuesday challenged the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, Lagos to try him on allegations of money laundering,
This effectively stalled his trial and Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke had to adjourn proceedings to April 26.
Shasore was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on October 29, 2022 on a four-count charge bordering on money laundering to the tune of $100,000.
The EFCC in the counts accused him of accepting, transacting and making cash payments of the sum of $100,000 without going through a financial institution, which exceeds the amount authorised by law.
He pleaded not guilty and was admitted to bail in the sum of N50 million with one surety in like sum.
At the resumed hearing of the case, the EFCC prosecutor, Abba Mohammed, asked the court to allow him to call his witness to testify in the matter.
However, Shasore’s lawyers led by Olawale Akoni and Chijioke Okoli, both Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), told the court that their client had filed an application challenging the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the charge.
Shasore’s application challenging the court’s jurisdiction is basically “a motion to strike out the charge for want of jurisdiction.”
The application, in the alternative, is asking the court for “an order for the Prosecution to avail it with all relevant documents in their possession not disclosed or absent from the proof of evidence and needed for a robust defence of the matter”.
But the prosecutor told the court that the application was served on his office last Friday, after the close of work. He added that he was just seeing the application “this morning”.
The prosecutor also stated that the documents demanded by the defence did not have anything to do with the defendant. He however urged the court to proceed and not let the defendant’s application stall the scheduled trial.
But the presiding judge, Justice Aneke, held that there was a need for the court to first hear the application challenging his jurisdiction on the matter before further proceedings.
Consequently, Justice Aneke adjourned the matter till April 26, for a hearing of the defendant’s application challenging the court’s jurisdiction.
The court also urged the prosecutor to file and serve his response to the application and to also make available all the documents requested for by the defence team.
The charge against the former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice reads: “That you Olasupo Shasore, S.A.N. on or about the 18th day of November 2014 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court induced Olufolakemi Adelore to commit an offence, to wit accepting cash payment of the sum of US100,000.00 (One Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) without going through a financial institution which such exceeded the amount authorized by Law and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 78(c) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under section 16(6) of the same Act.
“That you Olasupo Shasore, S.A.N on or about the 18th day of November 2014 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, in a transaction without going through a financial institution, made a cash payment of the sum of USD 100,000.00 (One Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) to Olufolakemi Adelore through Auwalu Habu and Wole Aboderin, which sum exceeded the amount permitted by Law and you thereby committed an offence contrary to sections 1(a) and 16(1)(d) the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as Amended) and punishable under section 16(2)(b) of the same Act.
“That you Olasupo Shasore, S.A.N., on or about the 18th November 2014, in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court, induced one Ikechukwu Oguine, to commit an offence, to wit: accepting case payment of the sum of USD100,000.00 (One Hundred thousand United States Dollars) without going through a financial institution, which such amount exceeded the amount permitted by Law and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 78(c) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under section 16(6) of the same Act.”1(a) and 16(1)(d) the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as Amended) and punishable under section 16(2)18(c) of the Money Laundering Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 16 (2)(b) Of the same Act.
“That you Olasupo Shasore, S.A.N on or about the 18th day of November 2014 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without going through a financial institution and made cash payment of the sum of USD100,000.00 (One Hundred thousand United State Dollars) to one Ikechukwu Oguine which sum exceeded the amount permitted by Law and you thereby committed an offence contrary sections 1(a) and 16(1),(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition Act, as amended) and punishable under section 16 (2)(b) of the same Act.”
