Former Nigerian attorney general and minister of justice Abubakar Malami has been granted bail by a Federal High Court in Abuja in a high-profile money laundering case that is testing the country’s resolve to tackle alleged corruption at the highest levels of government.

Malami who served as the chief law officer under former President Muhammadu Buhari for eight years is facing a 16-count indictment brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC. Prosecutors allege that he alongside his wife Hajia Asabe Bashir and his son diverted and laundered public funds totaling about 8.7 billion naira roughly 6 million dollars through a web of bank accounts and corporate fronts.

The EFCC claims the funds were proceeds of unlawful activities including alleged abuse of office and misappropriation of monies linked to government transactions during Malami’s tenure. Investigators say the money was moved through personal and business accounts in tranches designed to conceal its origin and ownership a pattern they argue fits classic money laundering techniques.

Malami who was arrested and remanded in Kuje prison in Abuja has consistently denied any wrongdoing. Through his lawyers he insists the charges are politically motivated and rooted in efforts to tarnish his record as justice minister. His defence team argues that the transactions flagged by the EFCC were legitimate and in some cases related to his private legal practice and family businesses predating his time in office.

At the bail hearing Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court said the central question was whether the defendants could be trusted to attend trial and avoid tampering with evidence or witnesses. 

The court set bail at 500 million naira for each of the three defendants. In addition Malami his wife and his son are required to produce sureties with verifiable assets within the court’s jurisdiction. 

The ruling followed arguments from EFCC prosecutors who had urged the court to either refuse bail or impose very strict terms. The prosecution contended that Malami’s former position at the apex of the justice system and his extensive political connections could enable him to influence witnesses or obstruct the investigation if released without tight controls. They also pointed to the scale of the alleged offences and the potential sentence if convicted as factors that might encourage flight.

Defence lawyers countered that Malami voluntarily presented himself to investigators and had cooperated with the EFCC. They stressed that he has deep roots in Nigeria as a senior lawyer and politician and that his family and professional life are firmly based in the country. They argued that keeping him in prison before trial would amount to punishment without conviction and send a chilling signal to public officials who may face politically charged accusations after leaving office.