Alleged Corrupt Offer: Former Lagos Attorney-General Faces Trial April 4

Olasupo Shasore (SAN) 

Justice Mojisola Dada of an Ikeja Special Offences Court on Tuesday fixed April 4, 2023, for trial to commence in the corrupt offer charge slammed against the former Lagos State Attorney-General (AG) and Commissioner for Justice, Olasupo Shasore.

The charge was slammed against the AG by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The Senior Advocate of Nigeria is being charged with $200,000 in corrupt offers by the anti-graft agency, which had on October 21 arraigned the former AG on a two-count charge bordering on corrupt offers.

But he had pleaded not guilty to the charge. Justice Dada adjourned the case after the lead defence counsel, Chijioke Okoli (SAN), moved an application, seeking the adjournment of the case.

The defence lawyer hinted to the court that the defence had filed an application, dated Dec. 2, to seek an adjournment.

He added that there was a need for an adjournment because the defence needed more documents from the prosecution.

Before this time, counsel for the EFCC, Bala Sanga, had informed the court that he was ready to proceed with the trial as that was the business of the day.

According to Sanga, “The matter was adjourned until today for trial, and we have two witnesses in court, and we are ready.

“We, however, confirm the receipt of the defence application and will not be objecting as long as the defence accepts that the adjournment is at their instance.

“My lord, on the request of the defence for more documents, I want to inform the court that this is one case out of about 103 cases on investigations going on around Process and Industrial Developments Ltd, P&ID.

“At the moment, there are roughly at least 21 ongoing criminal trials and what that means is that apart from the trials, we have 153 files, with a volume of papers running up to more than 30,000.

“We can only volunteer to give them what we can because the law says what is required is proof of evidence, not proof of defence. We are more than happy to oblige them with relevant documents.”

According to the prosecution, the defendant allegedly gave $100,000 to Mrs. Olufolakemi Adelore (then Director, Legal, Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources) on account of the role she played in the arbitral proceedings instituted by Process and Industrial Developments Ltd (P&ID) against the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

The prosecution also submitted that the defendant allegedly gave the sum of $100,000 to one Mr. Ikechukwu Oguine (Secretary to the Corporation and Coordinator, Legal Services, NNPC) on account of the role he played in the arbitral proceedings instituted by Process and Industrial Developments Ltd (P&ID) against the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

The anti-graft agency said the offence is contrary to and punishable under Section 9(1) (a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000

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