The trial of former Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, took a sharp political turn on Wednesday as his lead counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN, told the Federal High Court in Abuja that the case before it was “a political trial, not a money laundering charge.”
Daudu made the assertion before Justice Emeka Nwite while responding to comments by Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), during the cross-examination of the prosecution’s seventh witness.
The witness, Olomotane Egoro, a compliance officer with Access Bank Plc, had been subpoenaed by the EFCC in the ongoing trial over alleged money laundering.
Under cross-examination, Egoro admitted that Yahaya Bello never served as a local government chairman in Kogi State, despite the fact that the transactions under investigation were carried out by the state’s 21 local government councils.
He further confirmed that Bello’s name does not appear anywhere in the banking records tendered by the prosecution as Exhibit 33, either as a sender or recipient of funds.
According to the witness, the contracts referenced in the exhibit were awarded by local government chairmen, not the former governor, and the financial entries examined were consistent with normal banking transactions.
When asked whether he knew the purpose of multiple payments made by the local governments into the account of Keyless Nature Limited, Egoro replied that he did not.
He also admitted that there was no indication of fraud, no court order against the transactions, and no evidence showing a business or contractual relationship between the local governments and the company.
On further questioning, the witness explained that payments into Fayzade Business Enterprise from various local governments were described as supplies of educational materials, medical items, sporting equipment, agrochemicals, farm inputs and medical consumables, with amounts running into several millions of naira.
Egoro reiterated that Bello was not a signatory to any of the accounts and had no recorded role in the transactions.
At this point, EFCC counsel Pinheiro interjected, noting that money laundering transactions are often “disguised.”
Responding, Daudu dismissed the remark, insisting that the evidence before the court showed no link between Bello and the alleged transactions.
“Very soon, my lord, it will become clear that this is not a money laundering trial but a political one,” Daudu said.
Justice Nwite adjourned the matter until February 5 for the continuation of cross-examination of the prosecution witness.
