Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court Abuja, on Monday abruptly adjourned the hearing of bail applications filed by two family members of the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, his nephew, Ali Bello and his wife Rashida Bello (at large) till Tuesday.
Governor, Yahaya Bello’s nephew, Ali Bello, his wife Rashida Bello (at large) Abba Adauda, Yakubu Siyaka Adabenege and Iyada Sadat are on trial by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,EFCC, over allegation that they laundered the sum of N3 billion.
When the matter came up on Monday, counsel to the defendants, Ahmed Raji (SAN) told the court that he had filed an application for the bail of his clients on February 8 and that the prosecution served him a counter affidavit late Friday, 10th February, 2023 and that he couldn’t file response immediately because of the weekend.
Raji said, the defendants’ response was filed Monday morning, but Justice Egwuatu, on checking the record of the court, said, the counter affidavit of the prosecution could not be found in the record of the court.
Prosecution counsel, M.K Hussaini informed the court that the counter affidavit of the prosecution to the bail application of the defendants was mistakenly taken to another court.
Consequently, the court adjourned till Tuesday at 12 noon to take arguments of the bail application of the defendants.
Ali Bello was among the four defendants remanded upon arraignment on February 8, 2023 on an 18-count charge bordering on criminal misappropriation and money laundering to the tune of N3,081,804,654.00.
Count one of the charge reads, “That you, Ali Bello, Abba Adaudu, Yakubu Siyaka Adabenege , Iyada Sadat, Rashida Bello (at large) sometime in June, 2020 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court procured E- Traders International Limited to retain the aggregate sum of N3,081,804,654.00, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful activity to wit: criminal misappropriation, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to sections 18(a), 15(20)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act”.
Count 3 reads, “That you, Ali Bello, Abba Adaudu, Rashida Bello (at large) sometime in November, 2021 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court procured E-Traders International Limited to transfer the aggregate sum of $570,330 to account number no; 426-6644272 domiciled in TD Bank, United States of America, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful activity to with: criminal misappropriation, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act”.
Count 17 reads, “That you, Ali Bello, Abba Adaudu, Rashida Bello (at large) between 26th July, 2021-6th April, 2022 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court procured E-Traders International Limited to remove from the jurisdiction of the Honourable Court to account no. 426-664-4272 domiciled in TD Bank, United States of America, the aggregate sum of $570,330 which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of unlawful activity to wit; criminal misappropriation, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2) ( c ) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 ( 3 )of the same Act.”
Count 18 reads, “That you, Ali Bello, Abba Adaudu, Rashida Bello (at large) between 26th July 2021 -6th April, 2022 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court procured E-Traders International Limited to remove from the jurisdiction of the Honourable Court to account no. 426-664-4272 domiciled in TD Bank, United States of America, the aggregate sum of $845,852.84 which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of unlawful activity to wit; criminal misappropriation, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2)(c ) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 ( 3 ) of the same Act.”
The defendants had pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecuting the defendants on behalf of the Federal Government.