Anti-graft body, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has concluded plans to arraign attorney Uyiekpen Giwa-Osagie, for allegedly laundering $2m (about N700 million) in the build-up to this year’s general election.
Giwa-Osagie, who is a lawyer to the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 election, Atiku Abubakar, was alleged to have handled the $2m cash without going through a financial institution.
Already, the EFCC has filed three counts against him before the Federal High Court in Lagos.
Giwa-Osagie will be arraigned next week after the Muslim holidays alongside his brother Erhunse Giwa-Osagie.
The EFCC is alleging that the Giwa-Osagie brothers conspired between each other to make a cash payment of $2m on February 12, 2019, without going through a financial institution.
EFCC lawyer, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, who signed the charge sheet, said the amount exceeded the threshold stipulated by the anti-money laundering law.
Oyedepo said the Giwa-Osagie brothers acted contrary to Sections 18(a) and 1(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 and were liable to be punished under Section 16(2)(b) of the same Act.
