The adjournment occurred after the EFCC’s witness, Olom Otane Egoro, an Access Bank staff, was cross-examined by the defence counsel.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned an amended money-laundering charge preferred against Ali Bello, the nephew of former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, and his co-defendant, Daudu Sulaiman.
Ali Bello and Dauda Suleiman, in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/550/2022, are standing trial on a 10-count charge bordering on money laundering brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The adjournment occurred after the EFCC’s witness, Olom Otane Egoro, an Access Bank staff, was cross-examined by the defence counsel.
Earlier on May 6, the EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, had presented Egoro from the Compliance Unit of the bank as the 6th prosecution witness (PW6) of the commission.
The witness told the court that the EFCC, via a letter, requested for the bank statements of the Kogi State Government House, from 2018 to 2021.
He noted that the anti-graft agency sought other documents, including the account opening mandate for the account and certificate of compliance in respect of the printouts.
From his evidence, Egoro had said the withdrawals were N10million each in different tranches.
After the examination, the court adjourned the matter until July 15 and July 16 for continuation of trial.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that Ali Bello and two others are being tried over alleged misappropriation of N3billion.
Bello was earlier arraigned alongside two others at the Federal High Court on 18 count charges of money laundering and misappropriation of about N3billion.
It would be recalled that SaharaReporters earlier reported that Ali Bello acting on behalf of ex-Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello, had entered into an agreement to pay the advanced school fees of the governor’s four children until graduation in the school.
However, barely one year after, the EFCC wrote the school and demanded that the money amounting to $760.910.84 should be refunded to a nominated account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).