By Juliet Ezeh
Fresh details emerged at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday as a bank compliance officer testified about several financial transactions linked to accounts associated with former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.
The witness, Simon Kwayim Daniel, who works in the compliance department of Union Bank of Nigeria, told the court that the bank provided documents to investigators following a request from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
According to him, the request sought account opening documents and transaction statements related to the account of Meethaq Hotels Limited.
Daniel explained that the documents, which were admitted in evidence by the court, showed several transfers from the hotel’s account to accounts associated with Malami.
He told the court that the statement of account revealed transfers of ₦14 million and ₦24 million made on February 5 and March 4, 2024, respectively, in favour of Malami.
The witness also stated that additional transfers of ₦24 million and ₦12.5 million were later made to the account of AA Malami & Co.
Daniel further testified that the sole signatory to the Meethaq Hotels Limited account was Asabe Bashir, whom he identified in court as the wife of the former attorney-general.
He told the court that the identification documents of the signatory and the company’s board resolution confirming her role were part of the exhibits submitted as evidence.
The compliance officer also provided details of several deposits into the hotel account between 2022 and 2023, including transfers from individuals and corporate entities.
During cross-examination, the defence questioned Daniel about his responsibilities at the bank.
He explained that he has worked in the compliance department of Union Bank since 2014 and is responsible for reviewing account openings and handling regulatory inquiries.
Daniel added that he could not determine the purpose of the transactions listed in the bank statement or confirm whether they were related to commercial activities.
The prosecution later called another witness, Olomotane Egoro, a compliance officer with Access Bank Plc.
Egoro testified that the bank responded to an investigative request by the EFCC concerning accounts belonging to Rayhaan Bustan Agro Allied Ltd and Khadimiyya for Justice and Development Initiative.
He told the court that records showed a ₦400 million loan facility granted to a company whose sole signatory was Abdulaziz Malami Abubakar, identified as the son of the former attorney-general.
According to him, the loan was disbursed in October 2020 and fully repaid in July 2022.
Egoro also outlined several deposits recorded in the account of Khadimiyya for Justice and Development Initiative between 2019 and 2020.
However, he said he could not determine the specific purpose of the inflows and confirmed that he did not personally know the individuals involved in the transactions.
Following the testimonies and cross-examinations, the presiding judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, adjourned the case until April 20 for continuation of the trial.
Juliet Ezeh is the founder and chief reporter at Westbridge Reporters with over 7 years of experience in journalism. She covers crime, industry, policy, and social developments, delivering timely and accurate reporting.