A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the prosecution lawyers in the trial of Ali Bello, a nephew of the former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, to clarify the publication on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s website on the proceedings.
The EFCC had accused Bello, Abba Adaudu, Yakubu Siyaka Adabenege and Iyadi Sadat of money laundering valued at N3 billion.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu gave the order on Wednesday after defence lawyers, Abubakar Aliyu and Nureini Jimoh, both senior advocates of Nigeria, complained about a different account of what transpired in court on Tuesday about the trial on the website.
Justice Egwuatu ordered the prosecution lawyer, Abbas Mohammed, to confirm and report back to the court if an alleged misleading report on the court’s proceedings was from the commission’s website and social media.
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According to the defence lawyers, the witness, who was cross-examined, said he never said the money used in the payment of the school fees of the children of the former governor, Bello, came from the Kogi State Government as reported on the website.
The defence team submitted that the anti-graft commission had reported similar false and unfair accounts of the proceedings to members of the public which affects public confidence in the judiciary.
Meanwhile, at the continuation of the trial, a prosecution witness and Bureau de Change operator, Jamilu Abdullahi, testified that he could not remember who brought the $300,000 to him for change.
When prosecution counsel, Aliyu asked if he would be surprised that the N2.1 billion paid into one of the defendant’s account on December 14, 2021, from which the school fees were paid, was a loan from Access Bank, the witness said he did not know the source of the money.
The judge has adjourned the matter to November 28.
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