Ex-justice minister Malami is granted bail by a Nigerian court; his trial is scheduled to begin in February
Abubakar Malami, a former attorney general and minister of justice who was detained for a month on allegations of money laundering and abuse of power, was granted bail by a Nigerian court on Wednesday. His trial was postponed until February 17.
In December, Nigeria’s anti-graft agency detained Malami, the nation’s top law enforcement official under former President Muhammadu Buhari, and accused him with sixteen charges of money laundering.
Between 2015 and 2023, according to the prosecution, Malami embezzled public monies and used associates, including as his wife and son Hajia Asabe Bashir, and real estate transactions to launder the money.
Each of the three defendants has entered a not guilty plea to the allegations.
A surety with property in the affluent Asokoro, Maitama, or Gwarimpa districts of Abuja is required to post bail of 500 million naira ($351,835.17), according to Judge Emeka Nwite of the federal high court in the capital. Malami must turn up his travel documents and have his title paperwork checked and filed with the court. Nwite ruled that his son and Bashir were subject to the same conditions.
