By Ikechukwu Nnochiri
ABUJA– Trial of the previous Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, resumed on Wednesday, because the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee, EFCC, produced extra witnesses to testify earlier than the Excessive Courtroom of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, at Maitama.
Bello, who piloted the affairs of Kogi state from 2016 to 2024, is answering to a 16-count cash laundering cost the anti-graft company most popular againt him and two officers of the Kogi state government- Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu.
The defendants have been accused of complicity in a N110billion fraud.
Testifying because the third prosecution witness, PW-3, a financial institution official, Ms. Williams Abimbola, narrated what she knew about a number of the transactions that led to the cost.
Figuring out herself as a Compliance Officer with the United Financial institution for Africa, UBA, the witness, instructed the courtroom that each one the money withdrawals that concerned her monetary establishment, adopted the due banking course of.
She insisted that no regulation was breached within the transactions that have been allowed by her financial institution.
The PW-3 additional admitted that she had earlier given comparable proof earlier than the Abuja Division of the Federal Excessive Courtroom, with respect to a different cost marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/98/2024, between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and ex-governor Bello.
She pressured that although she was mandated by the financial institution to look on its behalf, she was nevertheless not the supervisor of the Kogi Authorities Home account, which she mentioned was domiciled in Lokoja.
Answering questions whereas being cross-examined by Bello’s lawyer, Mr. J. B. Daudu, SAN, the witness, instructed the courtroom that a part of her duties included guaranteeing the safety of the financial institution’s integrity to keep away from authorized penalty, reputational injury and monetary loss.
Referencing a number of the reveals that have been tendered earlier than the courtroom, the witness, confirmed a number of transactions involving one of many defendants, Hudu, together with repeated withdrawals of the sum of N10million every between July 31 and August 6, 2019.
In keeping with the witness, she was not within the place to determine why the withdrawals have been made by the defendant.
The PW-3 defined that although it was a standard banking apply to question the aim of transaction and relationship, particularly on excessive quantity transfers, the financial institution doesn’t make such enquiries within the case of money withdrawals.
She added {that a} banker doesn’t act as an inner auditor for purchasers.
Extra so, the witness confirmed that transfers have been produced from the account in tranches, on July 5, 2019, by one Bello Abdullateef, insisting the financial institution didn’t violate any regulation by permitting the transactions.
She additional instructed the courtroom that not one of the withdrawals within the proof of proof, exceed N10m, including that as a banker with over 19 years expertise, she is conscious that duties of a cashier included paying money and receiving money.
Moreover, the witness instructed the courtroom {that a} buyer was at liberty to withdraw his cash as a lot as he preferred, to date the fee mandate was appropriate.
Earlier in her testimony, the PW-3 listed all of the authorised signatories on the Kogi Authorities Home account, as at 2004.
She instructed the courtroom that these in control of the account, included: Christopher Enefola, Everlasting Secretary; Onekutu Daniel, Chief Accountant; and Hudu Abdulsalami, Accountant (Displays F2, Web page 37).
Ms. Abimbola equally talked about a letter dated September 2008, with three signatures- Elder P.S Ocheni, Abbas Ibrahim Abubakar, Chief Accountant; and Abdulsalami Hudu, Senior Accountant.
Whereas being cross-examined by the counsel to the third defendant, Mr..A.M. Aliyu, the witness was introduced with a financial institution assertion the place the withdrawals have been made.
She admitted that the narration on the credit score entry was the governor’s safety fund, whilst she famous {that a} credit score entry of N100m in two tranches of N50m every.
Requested if she might on oath, affirm if the funds weren’t used for safety functions after they have been withdrawn, the witness, mentioned: “My Lord, I’m not aware of the small print of the transaction and can’t categorically reply that query.”
The witness additionally admitted that she by no means met nor had any enterprise interplay with the 2nd defendant, Oricha.
She equally instructed the courtroom that she by no means met the first defendant, Bello.
Shortly after she was discharged from the field, the EFCC referred to as its 4th witness, Jesutoni Akoni, a Compliance Officer with Ecobank, who was subpoenaed to look earlier than the courtroom to testify.
Earlier than he might start his Proof-in-Chief, the defence workforce challenged the competence of a 13-page doc the witness supposed to depend on throughout his testimony.
Contending that the doc didn’t meet the requirement of the Proof Act, the defendants established that it was addressed to Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal Excessive Courtroom the place one other case is pending in opposition to the previous governor.
Following the commentary, the prosecution counsel, Mr. Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, withdrew the duvet letter.
The witness, in his testimony, instructed the courtroom that he didn’t know the three signatories to the account that was opened along with his financial institution.
He additional instructed the courtroom that Hudu’s identify didn’t function as a signatory to the account.
Meantime, ex-governor Bello’s lawyer, Daudu, SAN, notified the courtroom that his shopper earlier filed an software to problem its jurisdiction to entertain the case.
He urged the trial decide to listen to the appliance which he mentioned might save the time of the courtroom and that of the witnesses.
“I urge your lordship to provide us a date. Allow us to take care of the problem of jurisdiction, as soon as and for all,” Daudu, SAN, pleaded.
On his half, EFCC’s lawyer opposed the request, arguing that the appliance was not ripe for listening to.
Justice Maryann Anenih adjourned additional proceedings on the matter until Thursday.
The cost in opposition to the defendants, marked: CR/7781, borders on conspiracy, felony breach of belief and possession of unlawfully obtained property.
EFCC alleged that the previous governor misused state funds to accumulate properties, together with No. 35 Danube Road, Maitama District, Abuja (N950 million), No. 1160 Cadastral Zone C03, Gwarimpa II District, Abuja (N100 million), and No. 2 Justice Chukwudifu Oputa Road, Asokoro, Abuja (N920 million).
Different properties the defendants allegedly acquired with funds stolen from the Kogi state treasury, included Block D Manzini Road, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja (N170 million), Resort Condo Group: Burj Khalifa, Dubai (5 Million, Six Hundred and Ninety-Eight Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Eight Dirhams), Block 18, Gwelo Road, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja (N60 million), and No. 9 Benghazi Road, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja (N310.4 million).
Likewise, the defendants have been accused of transferring $570,330 and $556,265 to TD Financial institution, USA, and possessing unlawfully obtained property, together with N677.8 million from Bespoque Enterprise Answer Restricted.
The courtroom had on December 10, 2024, remanded the previous governor in Kuje jail, although it granted bail to his co-defendants.
He was later admitted to bail within the sum of N500m with three sureties in like sum.
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