The trial of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, continued on Wednesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, with a prosecution witness telling the court that Zenith Bank filed Suspicious Transaction Reports on financial transactions linked to the former minister’s accounts.
The witness, Mashelia Arhyel Bata, a compliance officer with Zenith Bank, made the disclosure while testifying before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik at the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja.
Malami is currently facing trial alongside his wife, Bashir Asabe, and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami.
The trio are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over allegations of conspiracy, concealment and laundering of funds said to be proceeds of unlawful activities amounting to more than N8.7 billion.
According to court documents, the EFCC filed an amended 16-count charge against the defendants, accusing them of engaging in financial transactions designed to hide the source of the funds.
During Wednesday’s proceedings, the prosecution witness explained the role of the bank in monitoring financial activities and reporting suspicious transactions to the appropriate authorities.
Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Adebayo Adedeji, the witness admitted that the deposits made into the accounts complied with existing guidelines of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
However, he maintained that the bank still considered the transactions important enough to report to regulators.
“But we had to file Suspicious Transaction Report. We did file,” the witness told the court.
The testimony led to a brief legal disagreement between the prosecution and defence teams during re-examination.
Prosecution counsel, J.S. Okutepa, asked the witness to explain what qualifies as a Suspicious Transaction Report.
The defence objected to the question, arguing that there was no confusion in the witness’s earlier testimony that required further explanation.
However, Justice Abdulmalik overruled the objection after the prosecution relied on provisions of Section 215(3) of the Evidence Act to justify the request for clarification.
Responding to the question, the witness explained that banks are expected to monitor unusual financial patterns and report them when necessary.
“Any deposition of funds seen in a pattern or repetitive, you must escalate it to the NFIU,” he said.
The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit is the government agency responsible for receiving, analysing and sharing information relating to money laundering, terrorism financing and other financial crimes.
The witness further clarified that his duties as a compliance officer mainly involved handling correspondence between the bank and law enforcement agencies.
He stressed that he was not the account officer or relationship manager directly responsible for managing the accounts under investigation.
After the testimony, the court formally discharged the witness and adjourned the case until May 22 for continuation of trial.
The case against Malami has continued to attract national attention because of his former role as the country’s chief law officer during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Malami served as Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice from 2015 to 2023 and was one of the most influential members of Buhari’s cabinet.
As Attorney-General, he supervised legal matters involving the Federal Government and played major roles in anti-corruption policies, prosecutions and legal reforms.
However, during and after his time in office, critics and civil society groups raised questions over some government decisions and contracts linked to his tenure.
The EFCC’s prosecution of the former minister is one of several high-profile corruption cases involving former public office holders currently before Nigerian courts.
In recent years, anti-corruption agencies have increased investigations into alleged financial crimes involving politically exposed persons, former ministers and senior government officials.
Financial institutions in Nigeria are also under strict regulations requiring them to report suspicious financial transactions to authorities.
Under anti-money laundering laws, banks are expected to monitor large cash movements, unusual transaction patterns and activities that may be linked to financial crimes.
Meanwhile, supporters of Malami have maintained that the former minister is innocent and should be allowed to defend himself in court without public prejudice.
The EFCC, on its part, insists it has evidence to support the charges against the defendants.
As the trial continues, many Nigerians are expected to follow proceedings closely because of the political significance of the case and its potential impact on the country’s anti-corruption campaign.