Attorney-general of the federation Abubakar Malami has recanted his earlier statement that a prima facie case of money laundering had been established against deputy police commissioner Abba Kyari.
Weeks after directing the police to probe him for allegedly receiving 33 proceeds of crime, Malami in a new legal advice said there was no evidence to show that money was laundered by Kyari.
Kyari is wanted in the US for alleged involvement in a $1.1 million scam carried out by convicted fraudster Ramon Abass aka Hushpuppi.
He is also facing eight counts of conspiracy, obstruction and dealing in cocaine, and other related offences at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Sequel to the report of the special investigation panel which probed Kyari’s alleged links to Hushpuppi, Malami had said in a legal advice in January that investigations carried out by the police indicted the former IRT commander for money laundering.
However, in his latest advice dated February 4, 2022, Malami said there was no link between Kyari and the Hushpuppi gang.
According to the letter written on behalf of the AGF by the director of public prosecutions, ministry of justice, Mohammed Abubakar, the evidence contained in the case diary “was not sufficient to indicate or show that the said monies (N279m million) were laundered directly or indirectly by Kyari to disguise their origin.”
Malami, who is also justice minister, said the police might wish to explore their internal disciplinary measures against Kyari through the Police Service Commission for breaching the code of conduct for law enforcement officers by hobnobbing with suspected fraudsters and people of questionable means in his capacity as a senior officer and head of the IRT.
Malami also said Kyari could be sanctioned for violating the social media policy of the police by responding to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s indictment on Facebook; breaching the Police Code of Professional Ethics by accepting complaints and acting on such without recourse to established protocol and detaining a suspect, Vincent Chibuzor, for over a month without a valid court order and regards to his fundamental human rights.
