Fatshimetrie recently highlighted a gripping case involving the Principal Prosecutor, Bilikisu Bala, who revealed crucial details during a joint sitting of the House of Representatives investigating allegations of corruption against officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Nigeria Correctional Service on Monday, September 30, 2024.
The case in question involves Okuneye, who recently sparked controversy when he claimed in a viral audiotape that he offered N15 million to unidentified officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to drop money laundering charges against him.
However, during his appearance before the committee, Bilikisu Bala explained that the anti-graft agency dropped the money laundering charges against the controversial cross-dresser because it was unable to sustain them.
“We initially framed six counts of misuse of the national currency and money laundering against Okuneye, based on his admissions that his company, Bob Express, was not registered with SCUML and was not filing returns with the SCUML. Counts one to four related to misuse of the national currency, while counts five and six related to money laundering. Okuneye’s admissions that he had not registered his company, Bob Express, with SCUML and was not filing returns with it, motivated the charges initially included in the six counts. However, when we sought the advice of SCUML on the status of the company, the unit told us that it was not a Designated Non-Financial Institution, Business or Profession. We cannot, in all fairness, legally maintain these charges. We therefore dropped them and relied on the four counts relating to mutilation of the currency, to which Okuneye had pleaded guilty.”
Bala added that it is ridiculous to attribute the commission’s decision to drop the charges to financial issues. The case raises critical questions about the functioning of justice and due process in corruption cases in Nigeria.