The Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has withdrawn the money laundering charge filed against the former Lagos State Attorney- General (AG) and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Olasupo Shasore (SAN).
TheCable also reports that the withdrawal of the charge against Shasore was sequel to the verdict Justice Robin Knowles of the Commercial Courts of England and Wales, who absolved Shasore of any wrongdoing in corruption allegations arising from the biggest scam against Nigeria by the Process and Industrial Developments Ltd (P&ID).
Shasore was arraigned alongside his company, Middlesex Investments Ltd, on a 14-count charge of money laundering before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja in November 2022.
When the matter came on Thursday, the prosecuting EFCC lawyer, Bala Sanga, informed the court that the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has directed the commission via a letter, to withdraw the charge.
Lawyer to Shasore, Olawale Akoni (SAN) did not oppose the application.
He then said, “We will humbly be asking the defendant to be discharged.”
Consequently, Justice Ekwo granted the application and discharged the defendants.
Incidentally, the AGF’s letter addressed to the EFCC chairman was titled: “RE: Review of All Civil and Criminal Proceedings Between Process and Industrial Developments Ltd (P&ID) and Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN).”
The cases listed are 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.”
It is instructive to note that Shasore had represented Nigeria in the P&ID case.
The P&ID had won a $9.6 billion judgment against Nigeria in a British court.
With the interest rate, the potential payment had accumulated to over $11.6billion.
The company claimed it entered into a contract to build a gas processing plant in Calabar, Cross River state.
The firm added that the deal collapsed because the Nigerian government did not fulfil its end of the bargain.
But the Federal Government had accused Shashore of compromising the case in favour of P&ID.
Shasore was also alleged to have been bribed to avert justice in the controversial gas supply purchasing agreement (GSPA) contract.
The Federal Government had argued that Shasore bribed two senior lawyers in the ministry of petroleum resources and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited to go on with the collusion.
But the P&ID had denied the allegation, stating that if the argument on the GSPA was voided and the question on the jurisdiction of the tribunal had been successful at the time, Shasore’s position “would have knocked out P&ID’s entire claim”.
The former Lagos AG had also insisted that he defended Nigeria to the best of his ability on the matter.
In a judgment delivered on October 23, Justice Robin Knowles of the Commercial Courts of England and Wales , cleared Shasore of any corruption allegations in the P&ID case.
In a judgement delivered by email, Justice Knowles held that Shasore’s actions were “inconsistent with Nigeria’s theory” that he was corrupt.
The UK court also stopped the enforcement of the humongous $11.6billion arbitration award in favour of P&ID against Nigeria.
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