EFCC withdraws P&ID fraud charge against ex-Lagos AG Shasore

The Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has withdrawn the money laundering charge preferred against the former Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Olasupo Shasore, SAN, following a directive by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minster of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).

The EFCC counsel, Bala Sanga, on Thursday, informed Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja, upon resumed hearing that his office notified him as prosecuting lawyer that there was a letter from the AGF requesting the anti-graft agency to withdraw the charge.

Sanga, who said the letter would be brought to court, prayed the court to stand down the matter to await its delivery and the judge granted the request.

When the court reconvened, the prosecution presented copies of the letter to the judge and the defence counsel, Olawale Akoni, SAN.

“Based on the AGF’s directive, we apply to withdraw the case,” Sanga told the court.

Akoni, who did not object to the oral application, said: “We will humbly be asking the defendant to be discharged.”

Justice Ekwo, consequently, ordered the withdrawal of the charge and discharged Shasore.

“Upon being shown a letter from the AGF dated 23rd of November and the application by the prosecution counsel that the matter be withdrawn, the charge is hereby withdrawn and the defendant discharged,” the judge said.

The AGF’s letter sighted and personally signed by Fagbemi, which was addressed to the EFCC chairman, was captioned: “RE: Review of All Civil and Criminal Proceedings Between Process and Industrial Developments Ltd (P&ID) and Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN).”

The cases were listed as: charge number: FHC/L/447C/2022 – FRN Vs. Olasupo Shasore, SAN; charge number: FHC/ABJ/CR/386/2022 – FRN Vs. Middlesex Investments Ltd and charge number: ID/19657C/2022 – FRN Vs. Olasupo Shasore, SAN.

The letter with reference number: DPPA/OLASUPO/345/23 informed the EFCC “that the above charges were being reviewed in the light of recent developments in Process & Industrial Developments Limited vs. The Federal Republic of Nigeria (CL-2018-000182) and The Federal Republic of Nigeria vs. Process & Industrial Developments Limited (CL-2019-000752).

“Consequently, you are hereby directed, pursuant to the provisions of Sections 105(1) & 108(1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, to withdraw the said charges with immediate effect and revert on compliance promptly.”

Shasore was standing trial in Abuja and Lagos State on alleged money laundering offences.

The ex-Lagos AG was, on November 4, 2022, arraigned on a 14-count money laundering charge before Justice Ekwo of Abuja court.

In the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/386/22 filed on Aug. 17, 2022, Middlesex Investments Ltd and Shasore were 1st and 2nd defendants respectively.

Shasore was alleged to be a director and a signatory to the company’s Guaranty Trust Bank account number: 0005659394.

The former commissioner, however, pleaded not guilty to the offences alleged to have been committed along with the company and was granted bail in terms of the administrative bail earlier granted him by the EFCC.

It would be recalled that on October 23, a Business and Property Court in London presided over by Justice Robin Knowles of the Commercial Courts of England and Wales quashed the $11 billion awarded against Nigeria in a case filed by P&ID.

Justice Knowles held that the award was obtained by fraud and that what had happened in the case was contrary to public policy.

The court also declared that it did not find any merit in the charges of bribery levelled against Shasore, who represented Nigeria in the arbitration.

The Federal Government had, in the case marked: CL-2019-000752, sought to overturn $6.6 billion arbitration awarded in favour of P&ID in 2017.

The award had continued to accrue interest since then, rising to approximately $11 billion before the judgement.

The Star

Segun Ojo