Justice Lewis Allagoa of a Federal High Court in Kano on Friday discharged and acquitted a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aminu Wali of the money laundering allegation levelled against him.
The court also discharged and acquitted on the same charge, Mr. Mansur Ahmad, the Kano State Campaign Coordinator to former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Wali was arraigned in May 2018, alongside Ahmad and a former Governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had alleged that on March 27, 2015, Wali and the Kano State Campaign Coordinator of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Mansur Ahmed received a cash payment of N950 million from Mrs. Nenadi Usman, to fund campaigns for Jonathan’s re-election bid in 2015.
It said that the offence contravened Section 1(a) of the Money Laundering Act 2011, and was punishable under Section 16 (2) (b) of the same Act.
Justice Lewis Allagoa, while delivering judgement said that the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the transaction did not follow financial institution rules.
Allagoa said that the prosecution evidence showed that the defendants collected the money but failed to prove beyond reasonable that it did not pass through financial institutions.
The judge, therefore, discharged and acquitted the defendants.
The court had earlier discharged Ibrahim Shekarau of the charge.
