The money laundering cases involving former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, have been reassigned to a new judge following the withdrawal of the previous trial judge from the proceedings.
Gatekeepers News reports that the reassignment was ordered by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, after Justice Obiora Egwuatu stepped down from handling the matters. The cases have now been transferred to Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja for continuation.
The suits were filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and involve allegations of money laundering and related financial offences against Malami, his wife, Hajia Asabe Bashir, and his son, Abdulaziz Malami. The anti-graft agency is also seeking the forfeiture of assets it claims were unlawfully acquired.
Court documents indicate that the withdrawal of Justice Egwuatu followed concerns raised by the defence team regarding alleged bias and procedural issues, which prompted the judge to return the case files to the Chief Judge for reassignment in the interest of justice.
With the appointment of Justice Abdulmalik, fresh hearing dates are expected to be fixed to allow the trial to resume. The defendants have consistently denied all allegations and maintained their innocence, pledging to challenge the charges in court.
The development is expected to pave the way for a fresh start in the trial as judicial authorities continue efforts to ensure fair hearing and speedy determination of high-profile corruption cases.
