Ex-minister denies attempt to launder N43.4m

Former Minister of Works and Housing, Dr. Hassan Lawal, on Thursday told an Abuja Federal High Court that the N43.4m – the subject of the money laundering charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission – was the proceed of a landed property in Nassarawa State which he sold to repay a bank loan.
Adopting his argument for no-case-submission in the trial, Lawal averred that he took a loan from United Bank for Africa Plc to buy former Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun’s house at Asokoro, Abuja, which the EFCC had seized and offered to sell to him.
Lawal added that he later sold his landed property in Nassarawa State to repay the bank loan.
He explained that it was the proceed of that property he credited in his UBA Plc account that has become the subject of money laundering charge brought against him by the EFCC.
Counsel for Lawal, M. A. Odeh, asked the court to strike out the EFCC charge on the grounds that the sale of a landed property can never constitute an illicit act or illegal source of fund.
“I wish to draw the attention of the court to evidence of prosecution witnesses (PW1, PW2, PW3, PW5) which have been so discredited during cross-examinations.
“The PW2, who is a former staff of the EFCC, said Lawal bought the Asokoro house from the EFCC, while PW3 and PW5 who are staff of the UBA said Lawal took loan from the bank and used the proceeds of landed property sold in Nassarawa state to off-set the loan,” Odeh said.
The presiding judge, Justice Adamu Bello, adjourned the matter to February 25, 2013, to rule on Lawal’s no-case application.

Punch