A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, in the sum of N200 million over alleged N8.7 billion money laundering charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, who delivered the ruling on Friday, ordered Malami and his two co-defendants to produce two sureties each in the same amount.
The court directed that the sureties must own developed landed properties in either Maitama or Asokoro areas of Abuja. The property documents are to be verified by the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court, while the sureties must also depose to affidavits of means.
Justice Abdulmalik further ordered the defendants to deposit their international passports with the court and barred them from travelling outside the country without court approval.
The defendants and their sureties were also directed to submit two recent passport photographs to the court as part of the bail conditions.
Pending the perfection of the bail conditions, Malami and his son were remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre, while his wife was ordered to be held at the Suleja Correctional Centre in Niger State.
The court fixed March 16 for the commencement of trial in the case, which involves a 16-count money laundering charge filed by the anti-graft agency.
Earlier, Justice Emeka Nwite of the same court had granted Malami bail in the sum of N500 million while sitting as a vacation judge, but the case later started afresh before Justice Abdulmalik.