By Alex Enumah
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday, amended criminal charges it filed against a former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr Bello Adoke (SAN), Alhaji Aliyu Abubakar and five others over their alleged complicity in the multi-billion dollar Malabu oil scam.
Following the amendment of the charges, the defendants were then re-arraigned before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on a 42-count charge.
Those arraigned alongside Adoke and Abubakar include Mr Rasky Gbinigie; Malabu Oil and Gas Limited; Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited; Shell Nigeria Extra Deep Limited; and Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Company Limited.
The anti-graft agency had earlier arraigned the defendants before Justice Idris Kutigi of the FCT High Court in Gwagwalaga, Abuja, on January 23, 2020.
When the matter came up on Thursday, the prosecuting counsel, Mr Bala Sanga, told the court that the EFCC had filed an amended charge dated January 18, 2021 against the defendants and urged the court to allow the charges to be read to them to take their fresh plea.
Thereafter, the charges were read to the defendants who pleaded not guilty.
Following their not-guilty plea, Sanga asked for a date for commencement of trial.
Based on the agreement of parties, Justice Kutigi adjourned the case till April 14-15 for hearing.
The judge ordered Adoke, Aliyu and Gbinigie to remain on bail earlier granted them by the court.
