The immediate past Commissioner for Finance in Kwara State, Ademola Banu, has been remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission by a Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin over N411 million alleged money laundering.
The former Commissioner has been answering charges bordering on money laundering.
The Ilorin Zonal Office of the EFCC had arraigned Banu alongside Travel Messenger Company Limited and one Olarewaju Adeniyi on a nine count charge before Justice Babangana Ashigar.
The anti-graft agency alleged that the defendants conspired among themselves to launder the sum of about N411 million belonging to the Kwara State Government.
The charge read: “That you, Olarewaju Adeniyi, Ademola Banu and Travel Messenger Limited between January to December 2018 in Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court conspired among yourselves to commit an offence, to with: conversion of the sum of N411,000,000.00 (four hundred and eleven million naira) only property of Kwara State Government, “which sum you reasonably ought to know was derived from fraud, and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 18(a) of the money laundering (prohibition) (amendment) act, 2012 and punishable under section 15(3) and (4) of the same act.”
The accused persons however pleaded not guilty.
Addressing the court, counsel to the EFCC, Nnaemeka Omewa, said following the plea of the accused, the court should oblige the prosecution team a trial date.
Omewa further urged the court to remand the defendants in a correctional facility pending the hearing and determination of the case.
Defence counsel, Gboyega Oyewole and Bamidele Ibironke, however prayed Justice Ashigar to grant bail to their clients, arguing that the offences were bailable.
Opposing the bail applications, the prosecuting counsel filed a counter affidavit and urged the judge not to accede to the request.
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