P&ID: Court Strikes Out Cases Against Shasore

The Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi and the Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja on Wednesday struck out the bribery and money laundering cases filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against the former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos State, Supo Shasore.

This brings to an end the prosecution of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) which lasted for about 15 months.

He was first arraigned on October 20, 2022 before Justice Chukwuejekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, on four counts of money laundering to the tune of $200,000. A day later, he was also arraigned before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja on two counts bordering on corrupt offers to public officers contrary to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC) Act 2000.

Shasore, who was Lagos justice commissioner during the tenure of then Governor Babatunde Fashola, had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Before Justice Dada on Wednesday, the EFCC counsel, Bala Sanga, withdrew the charge bordering on corrupt offers to public officers against the senior lawyer.

Bala told Justice Dada that the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) had directed the anti-graft agency, via a letter to withdraw the charge.

With no objection from counsel to Shasore, Wale Akoni (SAN), the court struck out the case.

A similar scenario played out at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos where Bala Sanga also withdrew the money laundering charge against the former Lagos justice commissioner.

With the matter struck out, Sashore’s lawyer, Chijioke Okoli (SAN), applied for the release of his client’s international passport.

Justice Aneke granted the application.

On November 30, Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had struck out a money laundering charge pending against Shasore before his court following the withdrawal by the EFCC.

The former Lagos Attorney-General had represented Nigeria in the P&ID case which won a $9.6 billion judgment against Nigeria in a British court. The potential payment had accumulated to over $11 billion, going by the interest rate.

The company claimed it entered into a contract to build a gas processing plant in Calabar, Cross River State. The firm added that the deal collapsed because the Nigerian government did not fulfil its end of the bargain.

The Federal Government accused Shasore of compromising the case in favour of P&ID.

However, Justice Robin Knowles of the Commercial Courts of England and Wales on October 23, ruled in favour of Nigeria in the enforcement of a $11bn P&ID Limited arbitration award.

According to the judge, the award against Nigeria by the company was obtained by fraud.

Justice Knowles also absolved Shasore of corruption allegations in the case.