Abba Kyari: No Conclusion Yet On Money Laundering Allegations – Malami Speaks

The Attorney-General of the federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has said that there is no conclusion yet to the money laundering investigation involving the suspended deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Abba Kyari, and stressed that media reports on the issue was based on misconception of his position.

THE WHISTLER earlier reported on February 28, that the Director, Prosecution and Legal Services, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Mr. Joseph Sunday, had informed a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja that the NDLEA was through with Kyari’s alleged drug involvement and that relevant authorities had begun to probe him for alleged money laundering.

The NDLEA went ahead to arraign Kyari and 6 others including about four police officers on alleged drug trafficking charges on March 8; two co-defendants, Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne eventually pleaded guilty to importing cocaine.

But some media platforms reported on Sunday that the AGF issued a new legal advice exonerating Kyari from money laundering ties with Hushpuppi, who is already facing a $1.1million internet scam charges in the United States.

The AGF office was quoted as saying, “It is our view that the above response has not linked the suspect, DCP Abba Kyari, to the offence of money laundering as the evidence contained in the case diary is not sufficient to indicate or show that the said monies were laundered directly or indirectly by Kyari to disguise their origin, more so that the aforementioned recipients or receivers exonerated him in their statements as having nothing to do with the monies.”

But Dr. Umar Jibrilu Gwandu, Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, told THE WHISTLER in an exclusive chat that the AGF position is that no conclusion has been arrived at regarding Kyari’s money laundering involvement.

He described the reports that the AGF had exonerated Kyari regarding money laundering as a ” misconception”.

His words: “It is clear that the conclusion on the alleged contradiction was a clear case of misconception.

“The office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice’s stance is that no conclusion has been reached in the direction of absence of evidence relating to the first report.

“The issues were raised for further investigation with a view to cover the field in investigation with a view to arrived at informed decision.”

Recall that the US had also issued an extradition request to the Nigerian government regarding Kyari.

The federal government, through Malami, had directed appropriate authorities to take further action on that including filing court processes.