The Federal Government has filed a fresh 42-count charge against former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, and six others over alleged fraud in the $1.1 billion Malabu oil deal.
Adoke is being charged alongside Rasky Gbinigie, A. Abubakar, Malabu Oil and Gas Limited, Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited, Shell Ultra Deep Limited and Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Limited.
The Federal Government, in a document with charge number CR/151/2020 dated January 14 and filed on January 15, at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, accused Adoke and others of receiving gratification to allegedly carry out a fraudulent oil deal.
The government alleges that as Attorney-General, Adoke mediated controversial agreements that ceded OPL 245 to Shell and Eni who in turn paid about $1.1 billion dollars to accounts controlled by former Petroleum Minister, Dan Etete.
Mr Etete, now at large, was a former Petroleum Minister under the regime of General Sani Abacha.
Adoke only returned to the country last December since 2015 from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and was arrested by operatives of the EFCC at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
He is being charged by the anti-graft agency on alleged abuse of office and money laundering in respect of the granting of the Oil Prospecting License (OPL) 245 to Shell and ENI.
According to the charge, the former AGF in August 2013 in Abuja while serving as a minister knowingly received United States dollars equivalent of N300 million which is reasonably suspected of having been unlawfully obtained and thereby committed offence punishable under Section 319A of the Penal Code, Cap. 532laws of the federation of Nigeria 1990.
The suit, signed by Bala Sanga on behalf of the EFCC acting chairman, Ibrahim Magu, further said that one of the accused persons, Rasky Gbinigie conspired with Munamuna Seidougha (at large), Amaran Joseph (at large) and Dauzia Loya Etete (at large), sometime in 2013, in Abuja, dishonestly used as genuine the forged form CAC 7 and Board Resolution of Malabu Oil and Gas Limited and the letter of resignation of one Mohammed Sani to open a Bank Account No. 2018288005 with First Bank of Nigeria Plc to receive the sum of $401.5 million.
