TheCable

A federal high court in Lagos has dismissed a case filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accusing Uyiekpen Giwa-Osagie, a lawyer to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, of money laundering.

Osagie was arrested on August 8, 2019, and arraigned alongside Erhunse Giwa-Osagie, his younger brother, on three counts of money laundering before Nicholas Oweibo, a judge of the federal high court in Lagos.

Upon the transfer of the case file from Oweibo, the suspects were re-arraigned before Chuka Obiozor in October 2019.

On Friday, March 6, 2019, the defendants were brought before Chukwujekwu Aneke, a judge of the same court.

The EFCC accused the two brothers of making a cash payment of $2 million without going through a financial institution in the buildup to the 2019 general election.

The EFCC said the amount which exceeded what is authorised by law was meant for the 2019 elections.

The EFCC had closed its case on January 14, 2021, after calling witnesses and tendering documents in evidence.

The defendants through their counsel, Uduak Kufre filed a no-case-submission.

Ruling on the application on Monday, the judge held that the anti-graft commission failed to establish evidence that the defendants committed the alleged offence.