Money Laundering Allegations: Court postpones Ali Bello, co-defendants’ trial to July 15

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday adjourned the trial of an amended money-laundering charge against Ali Bello and his co-defendant, Daudu Sulaiman, to July 15. The charges were filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Justice James Omotoso adjourned the matter for the continuation of the trial after the EFCC’s witness, Olom Otane Egoro, was cross-examined by the defense counsel.

It should be recalled that on May 6, the EFCC’s counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), had presented Egoro, a staff member of Access Bank from the Compliance Unit, as the commission’s 6th prosecution witness (PW6). Egoro told the court that the EFCC, via a letter, requested the bank statements of the Kogi State Government House for the period from 2018 to 2021.

He said the Commission also asked for other documents, including the account opening mandate for the account and a certificate of compliance concerning the printouts.

The witness thereafter went through the statement of account, detailing the various deposits into it and withdrawals from it via transfers and cash.

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From his evidence, Egoro said the withdrawals were N10 million each in different tranches but did not state who deposited the monies, what the monies were deposited for, or who withdrew the same and for what purpose before concluding his testimony at the last adjourned date.

Oyedepo had tendered the documents through the witness, and they were admitted into evidence accordingly, and Thursday was fixed for cross-examination.

However, during the cross-examination by Abubakar Aliyu (SAN), counsel for the 1st defendant (Ali Bello), Egoro admitted that there was no lodgement or withdrawal linked to Bello in the exhibit before him.

The witness also admitted that the staff of the compliance unit of the bank are not the ones that run and maintain the servers of the bank where information on bank transactions is generated from.

He added that it is the duty of the bank’s ICT Department to manage the bank servers.

Counsel to the 2nd defendant (Suleiman), Olusegun Jolaawo (SAN), also cross-examined the PW6.

After the defense counsel completed their cross-examinations, Justice Omotoso adjourned the matter to July 15 and July 16, 2024, for the continuation of the trial.

Ali Bello and Dauda Suleiman, in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/550/2022, are standing trial on a 10-count charge bordering on money laundering brought against them by the anti-graft agency.