Afrigather Justice Kolawole Omotosho of the Federal Excessive Courtroom sitting in Abuja has adjourned the listening to of an alleged N3bn case in opposition to Ali Bello nephew to Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, and three others to Could 22, 2023.
The Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee had on February 8, 2023, arraigned Bello, alongside Abba Adauda, Yakubu Adabenege, and Iyadai Sadat, on an 18-count felony cost and so they pleaded not responsible.
EFCC opened its case by calling two witnesses a compliance officer from Zenith Financial institution, Daniel Udoh; and a compliance officer from the United Financial institution for Africa, Bananda Edward, who tendered financial institution statements.
The EFCC’s prosecutor Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, led the witnesses who tendered the paperwork earlier than the courtroom.
The primary witness tendered in proof the financial institution statements of “Kogi State Authorities” and a certificates of compliance, which have been admitted in proof.
The defence counsel, A.M. Aliyu, SAN, objected to the admissibility of the 2 paperwork, stating that he would handle his objection in his remaining written handle.
Throughout cross-examination, Udoh admitted that the financial institution assertion he introduced didn’t belong to the Kogi State Authorities however to the Authorities Home administration, including that he didn’t know the defendants within the matter.
He acknowledged that he was not an worker on the IT division of his financial institution and was not concerned within the entry of the knowledge that had been printed out as a financial institution assertion.
The second witness, Bananda Edward, a compliance officer with UBA, additionally tendered the assertion of account of Kogi State Authorities Home (Exhibit C) and the Certificates of Compliance (Exhibit D).
He gave an account of influx and outflow from the stated account from September 1, 2021 to April 2022.
The defence counsel objected to the proof regarding Abdulsalam Hudu, Authorities Home cashier, on the bottom that he was not a defendant within the matter.
He challenged it on the idea of relevance to the moment motion and stated his objection could be raised in his remaining written handle. Nonetheless, Justice Omotosho adjourned the case to Could 22, 2023, for the continuation of the listening to.
