A Nigerian identified as Malik Wakili has been arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday before a Federal High Court in Lagos for allegedly impersonating the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) and defrauding the minister to the tune of N3.1 million.
The suspect was charged by the anti-graft agency before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke on a 3-count charge bordering on the alleged offence.
The suspect’s lawyer, Eubena Anedu requested for his bail after the suspect denied all the allegations levellex against him.
EFCC’s lawyer, Uduak Kufre, was not opposed to the bail motion. But he urged the judge to impose conditions that would ensure that the defendant attend his trial.
While adjourning the matter till Tuesday for ruling on Wakili’s bail motion, Justice Aneke ordered his remand in prison.
In the charge, it was alleged that Wakili conspired with one, Abdullahi Umar, said to be at large, “to fraudulently impersonate Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), with intent to gain a monetary advantage for themselves.”
The defendant was accused of “converting the total sum of N3,106,216, being the value of the Air-miles Skywards Account Number EK248739282 of Mr. Fashola with the Emirate Airlines and which sum he reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of his unlawful activity, to wit: fraud.”
The offence allegedly committed sometimes in March 2019 was said to have contravened Sections 15(2)(a) and 27(1)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act and was punishable under Sections 15(3) and 22(3)(a) of the same Act.