A Federal High Court in Sokoto on Wednesday fixed November 28 for ruling on admissibility of a statement obtained from a former Minister of Water Resources, Muntari Shagari, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Shagari is facing trial along with four other chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party over alleged N500 million illegal dealings with the former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke.
Others on trial are Ibrahim Gidado, a former Sokoto State Information Commissioner; Sokoto State Chairman and Treasurer of the PDP, Ibrahim Milgoma and Nasiru Dhalhatu; as well as the PDP state governorship candidate in 2015, Abdallah Wali.
Justice Saleh Idrissa-Kogo fixed the date after Shagari’s counsel, Ibrahim Idris, objected to the admissibility of the statement tendered by the lead prosecution on the ground that it contravened stipulated laws.
Being led in evidence by the EFCC counsel, Taufiq Lasisi, an Investigation Officer, Nasiru Abubakar, told the court that he led five other officials to obtain the defendants’ statements.
Abubakar said the EFCC obtained Fidelity Bank documents which showed that the N500 million was transferred from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation on the instructions of then minister Madueke.
All the accused persons had pleaded not guilty to the five-count charge in the case instituted by the EFCC.
According to the prosecution, the offence committed in March 2015 contravenes the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 and is punishable under Section 16 (2) (b) of the same Act.