How A Governor Tried To Use Femi Falana To Launder N405million

Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana has disclosed how he declined a mouth-watering N405 million brief from an unnamed former governor to help him launder funds abroad.

Falana, whose testimonial is contained in the current edition of ALERT, a monthly pull-out by the EFCC, pleaded with his colleagues to be wary of briefs from politically-exposed persons (PEPs).

Falana said the governor had asked him to assist in moving a huge sum of money to an undisclosed country and offered to pay him £1 million reward for his service but he declined outright. 

The no-nonsense lawyer 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 you want to buy with your one million pounds?’

“Some of my colleagues thought I was stupid, but those who accepted the [fraud] offer later found themselves in trouble, as they were arrested and humiliated...” 

He advised lawyers against being used by politically-exposed persons to be careful. He also asked lawyers not to succumb to the lure of filthy lucre to assist big politicians commit financial crimes. 

“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.”