Alleged fraud: EFCC withdraws charge against ex-Lagos AG, Shasore

The Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has withdrawn a money laundering charge against Mr Olasupo Shasore, SAN, following a directive from the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN.

During a hearing at the Federal High Court in Abuja, EFCC’s Counsel, Bala Sanga, informed Justice Inyang Ekwo that his office had received a letter from the AGF requesting the withdrawal of the charge.

Sanga requested the court to stand down the matter until the letter could be delivered, which the judge granted. After the court reconvened, the prosecution presented copies of the letter to the judge and the defense counsel, Chief Olawale Akoni, SAN.

Sanga then informed the court that they were applying to withdraw the case based on the AGF’s directive. 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, who was former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lagos State.

He said, “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shown a letter from the AGF dated 23rd of November and the application by the prosecution counsel that the matter be withdrawn, the charge is hereby withdrawn and the defendant discharged.”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 AGF’s letter and signed by Mr Fagbemi, which was addressed to the Executive Chairman of EFCC, 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 A-G 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.

On Oct. 20, 2022, Shasore was arraigned before Chukwujekwu Aneke, judge of an Ikeja Special Offences Court, on a two-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering.

Hours later, the former A-G was arraigned before Mojisola Dada, judge of a Federal High Court in Lagos on a four-count charge of alleged money laundering.

Recall that a Business and Property Court in London presided over by Justice Robin Knowles of the Commercial Courts of England and Wales had quashed the 11 billion dollars awarded against Nigeria in a case filed by P&ID.

Judge 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 judgment.