*Photo: Adebutu*
The Ogun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed surprise at what it termed the “unbelievable ignorance about money laundering” displayed by the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the last election, Mr. Ladi Adebutu.
Adebutu had on Wednesday honoured a long pending Police invitation for questioning over allegations of money laundering and vote-buying levelled against him during the 18th March, 2023 governorship and House of Assembly elections
Speaking with the media shortly after his release on bail by the Police, Adebutu said, ” The frivolous allegations that Ladi Adebutu has been laundering his money, I don’t know how you can launder your personal wealth, that is the allegation against me by the APC; that I have laundered my money…”
“It was a dictate of my late mother to be of help to women and children. We have done empowerment programmes and we will continue to do them.”
The APC in a statement signed by State Publicity Secretary, Tunde Oladunjoye, said, “From the above submission by Mr. Adebutu, it is clear that he is either naive or unbelievably ignorant of the charges against him. Otherwise, he would have known that money laundering has nothing to do with whether it is your personal wealth or not. It has everything to do with legality of the source of money and criminal usage of such through bank transfers even if it appears that it is being used for a “clean” purpose.
“Even if his late mother said the family should empower women and children as he claimed, did she also tell him to do so during elections with preloaded ATM cards meant to induce voters? Certainly, no!” The late Madame Caroline Adebutu was a very decent community leader and an elder of the National Council of Women Society, who would not have supported the illegality of using her name for vote-buying under the pretext of “empowerment”
Recall that the Ogun State PDP had in a press statement issued on the 9th December, 2023, said some of its members were charged for vote-buying by the Federal Government. It gave their names as Ogunbona Hammed, Tiramisu Waliu, Egunsola Owolabi, Moliki Badmus and Sanni Adejoke.
The PDP by its own account said its members who are standing trial for vote-buying made statements linking Adebutu and four others who were at large.
Over 52 debit cards with the inscription “Madam Caroline Adebutu” were found on the accused , along with PDP polling agents cards;and they have since been admitted in evidence by the Police.
“It remains to be seen how those who were found with the debit cards would be charged for vote-buying and the person who provided the funds would be left to carry on as if he is above the law,” the APC added.
“We also observed that Adebutu did not make any comment on the other charge of vote buying, whereas the criminal allegations could not be wished away as the law would, expectedly, take its course. We look forward to Adebutu’s date in court.”
