Yahaya Bello: Court fixes March 9 for ruling on admissibility of EFCC’s document

File: Yahaya Bello in court

By KEMI KAYODE

The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday, fixed March 9 for ruling on the admissibility of a document sought to be tendered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the ongoing trial of former Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi on

alleged money laundering charge.

Justice Emeka Nwite fixed the date after listening to the prosecution and defence lawyers’ arguments for and against the admissibility of the property-related document.

Former governor’s counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN, had kicked against its admissibility on the ground that the document was not before the court during the examination-in-chief of the 10th prosecution witness (PW-10), Mahmoud Abdulazeez.

Earlier, the PW-8, Gabriel Ochoche, while being cross-examined by Paul Daudu, SAN, who represented Mr Bello, had said he could not link the name of the former governor to any of the transactions before the court.

The witness also admitted that he did not have any direct interpersonal relationship with the signatories to the account of a company, Kumfayakum Global Limited, which was presented as exhibit.

This was after he was told to confirm the account opening package and statement of account of the company, covering Jan. 1, 2018 to Dec. 31, 2024.

Ochoche, a Compliance Officer with Wema Bank, admitted that, from the face of the document, he could not tell what a particular inflow of N100 million from Keyless Nature Limited, on Dec. 15, 2021, was meant for.