Ex-minister found not guilty of money laundering by court

On Monday, a Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed and acquitted former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs Kabiru Turaki of money laundering charges.

In a judgement on the defence’s no-case motion, Justice Inyang Ekwo stated that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had failed to link Mr Turaki and his co-defendants to the laundering charges charged in the 16-count accusation.

He stated that the prosecution’s case against them could not be proven prima facie.

During cross-examination, the defendants removed all of the evidence of the prosecution witnesses summoned in the case, according to Justice Ekwo, who described the EFCC’s 12 witnesses as “tainted witnesses”.

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The judge stated that the cross-examination proved that Mr Turaki was not a signatory to the ministry’s account and did not authorize any payment or transfer of monies.

He agreed with the reasoning that the former minister was not a member of the Ministerial Tender Board and that no monies were transferred from the ministry’s account to Turaki’s firm.

According to reports, the EFCC accused the ex-minister and others in a 16-count indictment of illegal and criminal misuse of N715 million.

Who is Kabiru Tanimu Turaki

Kabiru Tanimu Turaki is a senior advocate of Nigeria, a former Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, a former supervising Minister, Ministry of Labour, having served from 2013–201 and the current Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party former Ministers’ Forum of Nigeria.

He is a practising lawyer and politician who ran for governor of Kebbi state three times. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the People’s Democratic Party.

Chinaza Ogbachalu

My name is Chinaza Ogbachalu, and I am a writer. I have been writing news and opinion articles for five years plus and have always had a passion for storytelling. I grew up in Nigeria and graduated from the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, with a degree in linguistics and communication studies. I have written books that have been well-received by critics and readers alike. My work often focuses on culture and lifestyle, and I draw inspiration from my own experiences and observations of the world around me. As a news writer, I am responsible for researching and writing engaging and accurate news stories for our online audience. I have a strong passion for current events and am skilled at conducting interviews and gathering information from sources. I am grateful for the support of my readers and am constantly humbled by their enthusiasm for my work. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about me and my writing.