Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the former Governor of Kogi State, is facing a 19-count money laundering accusation. Yesterday, he argued that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) should not be able to use new evidence against him.
The anti-graft agency had asked to present evidence about a piece of land that the defendant allegedly bought with money from crime when the matter resumed in the Federal High Court in Abuja.
According to Vanguard, it specifically moved to offer a Deed of Assignment and an Irrevocable Power of Attorney for a property in the Gwarinpa District of Abuja that was purportedly bought for N100 million.
The 10th prosecution witness, Mahmoud Abdulazeez, who the agency wanted to use as evidence, told the court that Dantata and Sawoe Construction Company sold the property at Plot 1160, Cadastral Zone C03, Gwarinpa II District, Abuja, to a company that was said to be linked to the defendant, Azba Real Estate Limited.
The witness said that Mubarak Dantata signed the Deed of Assignment for Dantata & Sawoe Construction Company, and Ali Bello, who is the defendant’s nephew and the present Chief of Staff to Kogi state governor Ahmed Ododo, signed for Azba Real Estate Limited.
The PW-10 told the court that he has been working for the company that sold the property since 2016. He also said that he is now the Chief Accountant/Head of the Accounts Department.
Mr. J. B. Daudu, SAN, who was ex-Governor Bello’s main counsel, fought against the EFCC’s team of lawyers, led by Mr. Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, trying to give the documents to the court. He said they weren’t properly certified as the law required.
Daudu, SAN, said that the papers needed to be registered under land law before they could be used as evidence in a probate case.
Also, the defense lawyer said that the prosecution agency didn’t have the authority to do that because the two documents received EFCC’s approval.
He said that only the Abuja Geographical Information Service (AGIS) has the authority to register and certify these kinds of papers.
Justice Emeka Nwite of the trial court put off the case to March 9 so that the court could make a decision after hearing from both sides.
Earlier in the case, the EFCC brought in two bank compliance officers to testify as witnesses in front of the court.
Gabriel Ochoche from FCMB was the eighth witness, and Ms. Oluwafemi Victoria from Polaris Bank was the ninth.
The two gave testimony on various bank accounts that were said to have been utilized for some of the transactions that the anti-corruption agency thought were suspicious.
Bello, who ran Kogi state from 2016 to 2024, is on trial for allegedly being involved in a N80.2 billion fraud.
The EFCC said that the defendant used five middlemen to buy 13 high-end residences in Abuja and Dubai.
It told the court that the money used to buy the houses came from illegal activities.
The agency further said that the defendant tried to hide more than N3 billion by giving it to other people to hold for him.
It further told the court that the defendant sent more than $700,000 to a bank account he had in the United States of America, which was against the Money Laundering Prohibition Act.
Ali Bello, the former governor’s nephew, and four other people—Dauda Suleiman, Shehu Bello, Rabiu Musa, and Hudu, who is still on the run—were named as suspects in the alleged scam.
The EFCC said that the defendant broke the law by breaking public trust, which is against section 18(a) and (c) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act and punished under section 15 of the same Act.
The former governor has already pled not guilty to the charge, and the court has released him on bail while the charges against him are being looked into.
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