Again, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Thursday re-arraigned a former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, and others before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
They were re-arraigned on a 42-count charge bordering on the Malabu Oil scam.
The charges border on the Oil Prospecting License (OPL) 245, called Malabu Oil.
The judge while making the order held that the bail earlier granted Adoke, Aliyu and Gbinigie by the court still stands.
The former AGF and the other defendants were first arraigned in the case marked FCT/CR/151/2020 before Justice Idris Kutigi, sitting at Gwagwalada, Abuja, by the anti-corruption commission on January 23, 2020 on 42-count charge.
At Thursday’s trial, Adoke was re-arraigned along Aliyu Abubakar; Rasky Gbinigie; Malabu Oil and Gas Limited; Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited; Shell Nigeria Extra Deep Limited and Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Company Limited.
At the resumed hearing of the case on Thursday, the prosecuting counsel, Bala Sanga, told the court that the commission had filed an amended charge dated January 18, 2021 against the defendants, urging the court to allow the charges to be read to them to take their fresh plea.
But after the charges were read to the defendants, they pleaded not guilty.
The prosecution thereafter asked for a date for commencement of trial.
Justice Kutigi had since adjourned the case till April 14 and 15 for hearing.
