How I rejected ex-governor’s N405mbrief to launder money – Falana

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Femi Falana, has
revealed that he rejected a N405 million brief from
a former governor to help him launder funds
abroad.
He asked lawyers not to succumb to the lure of
filthy lucre to assist politically exposed persons
(PEPs) to commit financial crimes.
Falana’s testimony at an anti-corruption workshop
in Abuja was contained in the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) monthly
magazine, ALERT, released to journalists on
Friday.

Falana said: “The governor asked me to assist him
in transferring money abroad, and that I should
claim it to be proceeds from sale of his property in
Nigeria.
“And the price was extremely attractive. He was
going to pay me a million pounds then, when
money was money.
“The governor said he had chosen me for the
shady deal, because ‘nobody will suspect you.’
“I told him, ‘Your Excellency, so it is my reputation
that you want to buy with your one million
pounds?’’
“Some of my colleagues thought I was stupid, but
those who accepted the offer later found
themselves in trouble, as they were arrested and
humiliated. They were only lucky not to have been
charged to court.”
He advised lawyers against being used by
politically exposed persons.
He added: “Lawyers have a paramount role to play
in the fight against economic and financial crimes,
as they are the ones usually employed by well-
heeled members of the society to help perfect
documents for illicit transactions, and to cover up
their tracks.”
Falana faulted the ruling of Justice Gabriel
Kolawole of a Federal High Court, Abuja, which
held that Section 5 of the Money Laundering
(Prohibition) Act 2011 could not be applied to
lawyers.
The judge in the ruling restrained the Federal
Government, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN),
and the Special Control Unit against Money
Laundering (SCUML), from enforcing the section
as it relates to legal practitioners

Source:The Nation