The lead lawyer to former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, Joseph Daudu (SAN), has claimed that the trial of his client was political, adding that it has nothing to do with money laundering.
Daudu made the assertion at the resumed hearing on Wednesday in Bello’s money laundering trial before a Federal High Court in Abuja.
Bello is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 19-count charge relating to money laundering, breach of trust, and misappropriation of public funds estimated at ₦80.2 billion.
Daudu made the claim in reaction to remarks made during Wednesday’s proceedings by prosecuting lawyer, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), who alleged that what happened in the manner Local Government Areas in Kogi State made payments was stealing by disguise.
In the course of proceedings, the seventh prosecution witness (PW7) Olomotane Egoro (a Compliance Officer with Access Bank) said the defendant did not serve as a Local Government Chairman in any of the Local Governments in Kogi State.
Egoro noted that the contracts in respect of which payments were made were awarded by Local Government Chairmen for various purposes to contractors, as shown in statements of the bank accounts of some companies tendered and admitted as exhibits by the court.
The witness, who was being cross-examined by Daudu, stated that there was no mention of the degendant’s name in any of the local government transactions under investigation.
Looking through the bank statements, the witness said the name, Yahaya Bello did not appear, either as a sender or a recipient of Local Governments’ funds.
He confirmed that on the face of Exhibit 33(11), the entries in the transactions between the local governments and Keyless Nature Limited were consistent with normal banking transactions.
The witness denied knowing the purpose for which all the payments were made, adding that he did not know, from the bank statements, whether there was any business or contractual relationship between the local governments and a firm , Keyless Nature Limited.
The witness noted also that a customer had the right to spend his money anyhow he liked unless there was an issue of fraud.
PW7 admitted that in respect of transactions in Exhibit 33(11), his bank was not under court order and have no report of fraud.
The witness said the payment made into one Fayzade Business Enterprise was an inflow from Okene Local Government Area.
He added that the purpose as stated was for the supply of reading materials.
He listed the purposes of payments from Ogorimagongo, Okehi, Omala and Yagba LGAs as education materials (N4.4 million); medical items (N7.5 million); Sporting equipment (N10.8 million); and medical consumables (N12.2 million), respectively, among others.
The purposes of other payments ranged from agrochemicals to farm inputs and also medical consumables, according to the witness.
Further hearing in the case resumes on Thursday before Justice Emeka Nwite.
