Justice Chukujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Tuesday, February 21, 2023, adjourned till March 26, 2023 for the hearing of an application filed by a former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lagos State, Oladipo Shasore, SAN, challenging the court's jurisdiction to entertain the alleged $100,000 fraud charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The Lagos Zonal Command of the EFCC, on Thursday, October 20, 2022, arraigned Shasore on a four-count charge bordering on money laundering to the tune of $100, 000(One Hundred Thousand Dollars).

One of the counts reads: “ That you, Olasupo Shasore, SAN, 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 sum 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.”

Another count reads: “That you, Olasupo Shasore, SAN, 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 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.”

He pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.

At today’s sitting, the prosecution counsel, EFCC, Abba Mohammed, prayed the court allow him to call one of his witnesses to testify in the matter.

However, Shasore’s lawyers, Olawale Akoni, SAN and Chijioke Okoye, SAN, told the court that their client had filed an application, challenging the court's jurisdiction to entertain the charge.

In the application, the defence is also seeking an “order for the prosecution to avail it with all relevant documents in its possession, not disclosed or absent from the proof of evidence, that are needed for a robust defence of the matter".

In response, the prosecution counsel, Mohammed, however, told the court that the application was served on the prosecution on Friday, February 17, 2023, after the close of work and that he was just seeing it “only this morning”.

Mohammed also told the court that the documents demanded by the defence did not have anything to do with the defendant.

He, therefore, urged the court to proceed with the trial, adding that the defendant's application “cannot stall the scheduled trial.”

Justice Aneke held that “there is 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 March 26, 2023 for hearing of the defendant's application and also directed the prosecution to make available the documents requested by the defense.

Media & Publicity

22/02/2023