Former Minister Agunloye Calls On Attorney General, NBA, And Others To Intervene In $6bn Fraud Allegations

Olu Agunloye, a former Minister of Power and Steel facing charges related to a $6 billion fraud in the Mambilla Hydroelectric plant project, has appealed for the intervention of the Minister of Justice, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi, SAN. Additionally, he has sought the involvement of key figures such as the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yakubu Maikyau, SAN; former Minister of Justice, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN; and Joseph Daudu, SAN.

Agunloye is challenging the authority of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to prosecute him in the case currently before an FCT High Court. The charges against him include forgery, disobedience of presidential orders, and corruption, all related to the Mambilla power plant project during his tenure as a minister in former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration.

The EFCC alleges that Agunloye awarded a contract for the construction of the 3,960MW Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Station to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited without proper budgetary provision, approval, or cash backing. The prosecution also claims to have traced suspicious payments from Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited to the former minister’s accounts.

Despite entering a plea of not guilty, Agunloye’s legal team, led by counsel Adeola Adedipe, SAN, has filed motions, including a request for the court to invite friends of the court (amicus curiae) during the hearing of the preliminary objection. The prosecution, represented by Abba Mohammed, informed the court about the scheduled hearing of two motions related to the variation of bail conditions and the preliminary objection.

While expressing readiness to proceed with the motions, Adedipe insisted that the preliminary objection should be heard only after addressing the motion for amicus curiae. Consequently, Justice Onwuegbuzie adjourned the case to March 21 to hear Agunloye’s fresh application.

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