A Federal High Court in Abuja has admitted nine documents as exhibits in the ongoing trial of former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami. Malami is standing trial alongside his wife, Asabe Bashir, and his son, Abdulaziz Malami, over alleged money laundering involving 8.7 billion naira. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is prosecuting the defendants on a 16-count charge under the Money Laundering Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022.
The documents were admitted on Monday following testimony by Mashelia Bata, a compliance officer with Zenith Bank, who appeared as the fourth prosecution witness. Bata told the court that the bank received formal requests from the EFCC for account records linked to the defendants and several companies. He said the bank responded by submitting both electronic and hard copies of the requested documents.
The witness identified records connected to companies, including Rayhaan Hotels Limited, Rayhaan Bustan Agro Allied Limited, Nashab Limited, Golden Age Global Ventures, and Rahamaniyya Properties Limited. He explained that the documents, covering transactions from July 2024 to March 2026, are part of the bank’s official records.
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Counsel to the EFCC, Jibrin Okutepa, applied to tender the documents, and the court admitted them despite objections from defence counsel, Joseph Daudu.
Under further examination, Bata detailed transactions linked to accounts belonging to Abubakar Malami and his law firm, A A Malami and Company. He outlined significant credits and debits over several years, including inflows from New Horizons Limited and Rayhaan-related companies. Following the testimony, defence counsel Joseph Daudu requested time to review the documents and prepare for cross-examination.
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