….withdrawals from Kogi account followed due process, witness insists
By Ikechukwu Nnochiri, ABUJA
The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting at Maitama, on Wednesday, deferred further hearing on the 16-count money laundering charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, till March 10.
Trial Justice Maryann Anenih adjourned to enable the team of lawyers representing the former governor to further cross-examine the 10th prosecution witness in the matter, Mr Olomotane Egoro, who is a compliance officer with Access Bank Plc.
The prosecution counsel, Mr Kemi Pinhero, SAN, had, at the resumed proceedings, tendered in evidence a subpoena that compelled the witness to appear before the court to give evidence in the matter.
Equally attached to the subpoena, which was signed by the Managing Director of Access Bank Plc, were statements of account of Kogi State Government House Administration, spanning January 2016 to January 2024.
The witness also produced statements of accounts of five companies-
Westwood Motors Limited, Fozad Oil and Gas Limited, Bespoque Global Concept Limited, E-Traders International Limited, and Keyless Nature Limited – which were allegedly linked to withdrawals and deposits of cash from the Kogi State government house administration account.
Though counsel for the 2nd and 3rd defendants, Mr Z.E. Abbas, challenged the admissibility of the documents on the premise that they did not meet the requirements of the Evidence Act, the EFCC’s lawyer countered him, insisting the exhibits were relevant to the case.
Both lawyers said they would further canvass their reasons in their final briefs in argument.
In a short ruling, Justice Anenih admitted the documents in evidence, adding that the court would eventually decide their probative value.
While the Kogi Government House Account was marked as Exhibit AH1 and AH2, 11 statements of account belonging to the companies were labelled from AG to AR.
Meanwhile, answering questions under cross-examination by ex-governor Bello’s lawyer, Mr Joseph Daudu, SAN, the witness maintained that cash withdrawals from the Kogi State account followed the due process and guidelines that were stipulated by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Disclosing that he has been working at the bank since May 2023, the witness confirmed that one Aminu Jimoh Olanrewaju, who was earlier said to have made withdrawals from the Kogi State Government House Administration Account, was one of the signatories to the account.
He added that from the details in the account opening package, Olanrewaju was a civil servant and director of accounts in the Kogi State Government Administration.
The PW-10 told the court that as a staff member of the bank, he was not privy to the workings of the Kogi Government House Account.
He, however, said he could not state what the funds that were withdrawn from the account were meant for except for those that were detailed in the transactions.
The witness further admitted that the former governor was neither a local government chairman nor was his name linked to any of the transactions contained in documents the court admitted in evidence.
Asked to examine the exhibits and explain what the narrations on the bank documents indicated about the purpose of the funds, the witness testified that on May 6, 2022, the sum of N14,453,900.84 was for supplying reading materials to Okene Local Government.
He equally confirmed that the purposes of other payments ranged from sporting equipment to agrochemicals, the purchase of farm inputs, and also medical consumables.
The witness specifically told the court that a N10.6 million cash lodgement from Ibaji local government statutory revenue was for the purpose of agrochemicals, while the sum of N7.3 m from Mopa Muro LGA was for the supply of relief materials.
According to him, the sum of N9.9m from Ofu LGA was for the procurement of agrochemicals, among others.
The witness had earlier, in his evidence-in-chief, confirmed to the court that from December 2018 to August 2019, there were credit inflows into accounts of some of the companies from Kogi State Government House.
He told the court that there were also multiple cash withdrawals from the account by both Olarenwaju and Bello’s co-defendant, Abdulsalami Hudu.
He told the court that following the withdrawals—which were usually in tranches of N10m per transaction—the bank filed a Suspicious Transaction Report with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), in line with standard practice.
According to the witness, the multiple withdrawals of N10 million each occurred between January 15 and 16, 2018, as well as on March 8.
Justice Anenih fixed March 10, 11 and 12 for continuation of the hearing.
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The trial of the former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, on a 16-count money laundering charge has been deferred by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to March 10. The court adjourned to allow further cross-examination of the 10th prosecution witness, Mr. Olomotane Egoro, a compliance officer with Access Bank Plc. The trial is ongoing with both parties presenting evidence related to allegations of financial misconduct.
The witness testified that cash withdrawals from the Kogi State account followed due process according to guidelines set by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). He confirmed that funds were used for various purposes such as supplying reading materials, sporting equipment, agrochemicals, and medical consumables among others. The case involves transactions between the Kogi State Government and several companies, with the court admitting statements of accounts and other relevant documents as evidence. The trial is set to continue on March 10, 11, and 12.
Original Source: Vanguard News