By Uche Amunike
The former Lagos State Accountant General and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Olasupo Shasore has just been granted bail in the sum of N50 million, with one surety that must be a serving Director or Permanent Secretary in the Lagos State Civil Service.
While Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke Of the federal High Court ordered that his travel passport is deposited with the court registrar, the court went ahead to order his release to his team of lawyers who were led by senior advocates, Adeyemi Candide-Johnson, Dr. Muiz Banire, Segun Ajibola and Chijioke Okoli – before adjourning his trial to November 24.
After the arraignment, the defendant through his counsel then applied for bail on liberal terms or on self-recognizance, arguing that Mr Shasore (SAN) is not a flight risk who will will be present for his trial at all times and that the alleged offenses are bailable.
The EFCC, on its part, did not object to the bail application.
The defendants had been arraigned before the court on a four-count of money laundering before its ruling on bail was given.
In the charge, one of the things alleged by the EFCC was that Olasupo Shasore induced a former legal Director in the Ministry of petroleum, Olufolakemi Adetore with a cash payment of one hundred thousand US dollars. He however pleaded guilty to all the counts.
The embattled Olasupo Shapore will face a new arraignment however, on Friday before Justice Mojisola Dada at the Lagos High Court for a charge basically bordering on the corruption of a public official.
Subsequently, he is to face a third charge that is still pending before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Olasupo Shapore (SAN) used to be the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice during the time that Babatunde Fashola was the governor of Lagos State. He is being charged for offenses that he committed after he left office in 2014, which are reportedly said to be connected to his involvement in the Process and Industrial Development (P&ID) $9.6 billion judgement.
In the charge sheet, count one says that Shasore induced one
Olufolakemi Adetore In accepting cash payments of a hundred thousand US dollars without going through a financial institution on November 18, 2014.
In Count two, he was alleged to have paid cash worth hundred thousand US dollars to Oluwafolakemi through Auwalu Haba and Wole Aboderin.
In Count 3 and 4, the former Lagos State Attorney General was also said to have induced and paid cash amounting to one hundred thousand US dollars to an Ikechukwu Oguine, again, without going through a financial institution.
The EFCC has said that the sums of money which exceeds the amount approved by law constitutes an offence contrary to Sections 78(c); 1(a) and 16(1)(d) and 18(c) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under section 16(6) and 16 (2)(b) of the same Act.
