Forty-eight days after leaving office as governor of Kogi state, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday dragged Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello before a Federal High Court for alleged diversion of about N100 billion belonging to the state government in September 2015. The antigraft body in an amended charges claimed that Mr. Ali
Forty-eight days after leaving office as governor of Kogi state, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday dragged Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello before a Federal High Court for alleged diversion of about N100 billion belonging to the state government in September 2015.
The antigraft body in an amended charges claimed that Mr. Ali Bello, current Chief of Staff to Kogi State Governor, Mr. Dauda Suleman, and the former governor allegedly diverted about N100 billion belonging to the state government in September 2015, months before assumed office as Governor.
Former Governor Bello was not a defendant in the original suit and was not in court. However, Mr. Bello, current Chief of Staff to Kogi State Governor, and Mr. Suleman have denied the fraud allegations in the amended charges brought against them at the fresh arraignment on Thursday in Abuja.
Their plea was taken by Justice James Kolawole Omotoso who directed the Registrar of the Court to read the amended charges.
In the first count, former Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello, Alli Bello and Dauda Suleman were accused of conspiring with each other in September 2015 and converted N80, 246, 470, 089 to their personal use.
They were alleged to have run foul of section 18 (a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 because they ought to have reasonably known that the money was a product of fraud and criminal breach of public trust.
In other charges, Mr. Alli Bello and Mr. Dauda Suleman were alleged to have concealed several millions of naira with one Rabiu Musa Tafada, a Bureau De Change (BDC ) operator trading under Global Venture in Abuja.
Both Mr. Bello and Mr. Suleman denied the allegations contained in the 17 – count amended charges.
Earlier, Mr. Bello through his counsel, Mr. A.M. Aliyu, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), had objected to reading of the amended charges to his client.
His ground of objection was that the anti-graft agency had failed to comply with Section 218 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.
The counsel submitted that a copy of the amended charges was not served on them as required by the provisions of the ACJA Act.
Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo SAN, counsel to the EFCC asked the court to reject the arguments of the defendant, stressing that the court had on its own endorsed the amendment.
In a brief ruling, Justice Omotoso recalled that he had granted accelerated hearing in the matter and had also ordered that all forms of objections must be kept in abeyance till the address stage.
Mr. Bello’s counsel, Mr. Aliyu SAN, thereafter applied that one of the EFCC witnesses, Mr. Edward Fanada, be recalled for fresh cross examination in view of the contents of the amended charges.
The request was granted by Justice Omotoso because EFCC counsel did not object to the request.
Meanwhile, Justice Omotoso has ordered that Mr. Bello and Mr. Suleman should continue to enjoy the bail conditions granted them in the previous charges.
