The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday discharged and aquitted the former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Kabiru Turaki, SAN, of money laundering charge.
In a ruling on the no-case submission filed by the defence, the Presiding Judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo held that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC failed to link Turaki with the offences contained in the 16-counts charge.
Justice Inyang Ekwo said that the prosecution could not establish a prima facie case against them.
Justice Ekwo maintained that the defendants dislodged all the evidence of the prosecution witnesses called in the matter during cross examination, describing the 12 witnesses relied on by EFCC as “tainted witnesses.”
The judge said it was established during cross examination that Turaki was not a signatory to the account of the ministry and did not authorize any payment or make any transfer of funds.
Justice Inyang Ekwo accepted the defendants’ argument that the former minister was not a member of the Ministerial Tender Board and that there was no inflow of funds from the account of the ministry to Turaki’s company.
Recall that the EFCC had earlier in a 16-counts charge accused the former minister and others of unlawful and criminal misappropriation of N715 million
