The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of about 48 properties linked to former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.
Penpushing reports that Judge Joyce Abdulmalik on Wednesday granted the forfeiture application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), holding that Malami and others laying claim to the assets failed to prove that they lawfully acquired them.
The judge before delivering the substantive judgement, dismissed several applications, motions on notice and objections filed by Malami, his family members and some companies claiming ownership of the properties. The judge said they all lacked merit.
Penpushing further reports that Abdulmalik held that the issue before the court was not who owns the property, but how legitimate are the funds used to acquire the properties, adding that the respondents had not dislodged the reasonable suspicion that the property was acquired by unlawful activities.
The judge relied principally on Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act in granting the final forfeiture order, however, vacated the interim forfeiture order in respect of some of properties.
Penpushing also reports that Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had presented 57 properties linked to Malami for final forfeiture, however, the final forefeiture does not amount to criminal conviction or guilt of anyone, as Malami, his wife and son are jointly facing charges some of which involve illegitimate acquisition of funds with suspicious origins.
The commission, it would be recalled instituted the civil forfeiture proceedings in January, seeking the permanent forfeiture of 57 properties valued at N212.8 billion, which it alleged were proceeds of unlawful activities linked to former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
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