The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has asked the Federal High Court in Lagos to dismiss an application filed by the former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos State, Supo Shasore (SAN) challenging the jurisdiction of the court, to try him on allegations of money laundering.

It also said the defendant merely wishes to delay the proceedings and it will not be in the interest of justice to grant his application challenging the court jurisdiction.

The submissions were contained in the Commission’s response to the application of the defendant filed and served seventeenth February.

The defendant’s counsel, Chijioke Okoli (SAN) has however told the court that the EFCC’s counter-affidavit was not ripe for hearing as the defendant had only been served last week Thursday and would need more time to file his response.

Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke agreed with the defence counsel and subsequently adjourned to June 26 for the hearing of all pending applications.

Shasore was arraigned by the EFCC twenty-nineth October, 2022, on a four-count charge bordering on money laundering to the tune of $100,000.

The EFCC in the counts accused him of accepting, transacting and making cash payments of the sum of $100,000 without going through a financial institution, which exceeds the amount authorised by law.

He pleaded not guilty and was admitted to bail in the sum of N50 million with one surety in like sum.

At the last sitting of the court on Feb. 21, the EFCC prosecutor, Abba Mohammed, asked the court to allow him to call his witness to testify in the matter.

However, Shasore’s lawyers led by Olawale Akoni and Chijioke Okoli, both Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), told the court that their client had filed an application challenging the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the charge.

Shasore’s application challenging the court’s jurisdiction is basically “a motion to strike out the charge for want of jurisdiction.”

The application, in the alternative, is asking the court for “an order for the Prosecution to avail it with all relevant documents in their possession not disclosed or absent from the proof of evidence and needed for a robust defence of the matter.”