By Ikechukwu Nnochiri
ABUJA– A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, sitting at Maitama, on Thursday, adjourned further hearing on the 16-count money laundering charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, preferred against the former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, till November 12.
The adjournment came after the anti-graft agency called its sixth witness to testify before trial Justice Maryann Anenih.
In her Evidence-in-Chief, a Compliance Officer with Polaris Bank, Ms. Victoria Oluwafemi, told the court that as at November, 2021, the total credit in the Kogi State Government House Account, was N450million.
According to the witness, records of inflows into the account showed that monies were paid in by different persons and subsequently withdrawn in multiples of N10m.
While being cross-examined by ex-governor Bello’s lawyer, Mr. J. B. Daudu, SAN, the witness admitted that she was not the account officer for two accounts the state operated with her bank.
She added that since she was neither the account officer nor the relationship manager, she could not explain how transactions on the accounts were carried out.
The witness equally told the court that the name of Bello’s co-defendant, Abdulsalam Hudu, did not reflect in the bank document.
Meanwhile, the defendants challenged EFCC’s move to tender some documents through the sixth witness, Msheila Arhyel B, who was subpoenaed to appear before the court.
Daudu, SAN, told the court that he has not concluded the cross-examination of the same witness at the Federal High Court where ex-governor Bello is facing a similar charge.
His contention was however dismissed by Justice Anenih, who held that the proceeding before her could not be tied to a trial that is pending in another court.
In his objection, Bello’s counsel insisted that documents the prosecution sought to tender against his client, failed to meet the threshold of admissibility as provided in sections 83 and 84 of the Evidence Act.
On his part, the prosecution counsel, Mr. Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, urged the court to discountenance the objection and admit the documents in evidence.
The document, which was a 218-page statement of account belonging to a firm- Alusha Services- which was signed by the PW-6, was admitted in evidence and marked as Exhibit P1.
In his testimony, the witness equally told the court that monies were severally withdrawn from the account in tranches of N10m.
He told the court that prior to 2023, there was no strict withdrawal limit as long as the amount written on the cheque did not exceed N10m.
Asked to examine transactions that took place on the account between February 22 and 25, as well as on March 3, 2016, and May 6, 2022, the witness confirmed multiple transactions of N10m each.
He told the court that the total transactions, which amounted to about N707, 267, 000. 00, as at January 32, 2018, were within the approval threshold of the bank.
The witness further confirmed that the sum of $2,500 was on May 6, 2022, paid into the account of Aleshua Solutions Services by one B. O. Rosemary Chukwuma.
“The second is a transfer in favour of Yau for $5,000. The third is also a cash transfer of $5,000 to Yau,” he added.
The witness also confirmed certain transactions in December 2016 from the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service, totalling N202m.
Justice Anenih adjourned the matter for continuation of cross-examination of the sixth witness.
Bello, who piloted the affairs of Kogi state from 2016 to 2024, is facing trial alongside two officials of the Kogi state government- Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu.
The defendants were accused of complicity in a N110billion fraud.
The charge against them, marked: CR/7781, borders on conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and possession of unlawfully obtained property.
EFCC alleged that the former governor misused state funds to acquire properties, including No. 35 Danube Street, Maitama District, Abuja (N950 million), No. 1160 Cadastral Zone C03, Gwarimpa II District, Abuja (N100 million), and No. 2 Justice Chukwudifu Oputa Street, Asokoro, Abuja (N920 million).
Other properties the defendants allegedly acquired with funds stolen from the Kogi state treasury, included Block D Manzini Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja (N170 million), Hotel Apartment Community: Burj Khalifa, Dubai (Five Million, Six Hundred and Ninety-Eight Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Eight Dirhams), Block 18, Gwelo Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja (N60 million), and No. 9 Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja (N310.4 million).
Likewise, the defendants were accused of transferring $570,330 and $556,265 to TD Bank, USA, and possessing unlawfully obtained property, including N677.8 million from Bespoque Business Solution Limited.
The court had on December 10, 2024, remanded the former governor in Kuje prison, though it granted bail to his co-defendants.
He was later admitted to bail in the sum of N500m with three sureties in like sum.
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