Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State, submitted a bail plea, which the Federal High Court in Kaduna on Tuesday postponed till March 31.
After hearing arguments from the prosecution and defense on Tuesday, the presiding judge, Justice Rilwanu Aikawa, set the date.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) charged El-Rufai with ten counts that included alleged money laundering and conversion of public property.
However, the former governor entered a not guilty plea to each and every accusation.
Ukpon Akpan, the defense attorney, had previously asked the court to allow his client bail so he could prepare his defense.
Osuobeni Akponimisingha, the prosecution’s attorney, objected to the request, claiming that granting bail might impede existing investigations.
After the submissions, the court ordered the defendant to stay in ICPC custody and postponed the hearing of the bail application until March 31.
Defense attorney Ubong Akpan told reporters during the hearing that his client’s domiciliary account deposits and the monetization of his earnings are the main points of contention.
Noting that the adjournment was only for the hearing of the bail application, he characterized the court session as uneventful.
During his time as governor, El-Rufai was accused by the ICPC of receiving illegal financial benefits and unusual inflows into his bank accounts.
The ICPC claimed in Counts 1 and 2 that the former governor received severance pay of ₦289.8 million in September 2020 and January 2023, far more than the constitutionally permitted ₦20 million, or 300% of his yearly base pay.
In violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, the prosecution claims that he knew or should have known that the excess amount was the proceeds of corruption.
Between 2016 and 2023, Mr. El-Rufai’s Guaranty Trust Bank domiciliary account received several foreign currency deposits, as seen in counts 3 through 9.
These include distinct contributions ranging from 4,000 to 305,300 dollars from various people, some of whom are supposedly at large, and 320,800 dollars purportedly paid in tranches by one Joel Adoga.
The defendant was accused by the ICPC of knowing that the money was obtained through fraud and corruption while working as a public official.
In Count 10, the prosecution charged Mr. El-Rufai and Mr. Adoga with conspiring in July 2019 to conceal the source of $10,000 that was placed into the former governor’s account, allegedly in violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
After being freed by the EFCC and then hauled into jail by the ICPC, El-Rufai has been detained since February 19.
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