Bello facing political trial, not money laundering offence, lawyer tells court

Mr Joseph Daudu, SAN, on Wednesday, told the Federal High Court in Abuja that his client and former Governor of Kogi, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, is facing a political trial and not a money laundering charge.

Daudu made the remark before Justice Emeka Nwite while responding to a statement made by Mr Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, lawyer to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The development occured while Olomotane Egoro, the EFCC’s 7th prosecution witness (PW-7) and a compliant officer from Access Bank Plc, was being cross-examined by Daudu.

Egoro, who was subpoenaed by the anti-graft agency to testify in the alleged money laundering trial of Bello, had admitted in court that the former governor did not serve as local government chairman in Kogi.

The PW-7 stated this against the background that the contracts in question were awarded by local government chairmen for various purposes as stated in the documents presented in Exhibit 33 by the prosecution.

The witness had also admitted that there was no part in the exhibit where the name of the ex-governor was mentioned in any of the local government transactions under investigation.

He said the name, “Yahaya Bello,” did not appear, either as sender or recipient.

Egoro had equally admitted that, on the face of Exhibit 33(11), the entries in the transactions between the local governments and Keyless Nature Limited were consistent with normal banking transactions.

“You drew my lord’s attention to a litany of payments from the 21 local government areas, for example, on 11th October, 2022, into Keyless account.

“Do you know the purpose of those entries or transactions?” Daudu asked.

“No, my lord,” the witness responded.

He also admitted that he did not know from the record whether there was any business or contractual relationship between the LGAs and Keyless Nature Limited.

The witness stated also that a customer had the right to spend his money anyhow he liked unless there was an issue of fraud.

“Confirm that in respect of transactions in Exhibit 33(11), your bank was not under court order and you have no report of fraud,” the lawyer asked.

“That is correct my lord,” he responded.

On payments made into Fayzade Business Enterprise, the defendant’s counsel told the witness to look at the transaction of May 6, 2022, on the six column and tell the court what it was all about.

Responding, Egoro said it was an inflow from Okene Local Government Area and that the purpose as stated in the document was for the supply of reading materials.

The witness also listed the purposes of payments from Ogorimagongo, Okehi, Omala and Yagba LGAs as education materials (N4.4 million); medical items (N7.5 million); Sporting equipment (N10.8 million); and medical consumables (N12.2 million), respectively, among others.

The PW-7 further gave the purposes for which other payments were made ranging from agrochemicals to farm inputs and also medical consumables.

Daudu then asked, “Do you know if this defendant is a local government chairman and which local government in Kogi state?”

“No, the defendant wasn’t a local government chairman,” he responded.

However, Pinheiro, in a light manner, stood up and said that in money laundering cases payments made are usually in disguise.

“My lord, there is this casual statement I learnt from my leader (Daudu); that this is a case of money laundering where payments can be made in disguise,” he said.

Responding, Daudu said: “Not all casual statements are made to go without reply my lord.

“Very soon, we will soon know that this is not a money laundering trial but a political trial.”

Justice Nwite adjourned the matter until Feb. 5 for continuation of cross-examination of the PW-7.