Joseph Daudu, lawyer to former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, has told a Federal High Court in Abuja that the trial of his client is politically motivated and not about money laundering.
Daudu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) spoke on Wednesday during the cross-examination of Olomotane Egoro, the seventh prosecution witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Egoro, a Compliance Officer with Access Bank Plc, was subpoenaed to give evidence for the prosecution.
Under cross-examination, the witness said the contracts at the centre of the case were awarded by local government chairmen, as reflected in documents tendered by the prosecution and marked as exhibit 33.
He further admitted that Bello’s name did not appear anywhere in the exhibit in relation to the transactions being investigated.
“The name ‘Yahaya Bello’ does not appear either as sender or recipient,” Egoro said.
The witness also confirmed that entries contained in exhibit 33(11), showing transactions between local governments and Keyless Nature Limited, a firm, appeared to be regular banking transactions.
“You drew my lord’s attention to a litany of payments from the 21 local government areas, for example, on 11th October, 2022, into the Keyless account. Do you know the purpose of those entries or transactions?” Daudu asked.
“No, my lord,” Egoro replied, adding that he could not tell from the records whether there was any business or contractual relationship between the local governments and Keyless Nature Limited.
Egoro also said customers were entitled to spend their money as they wished, provided there was no fraud.
“Confirm that in respect of transactions in exhibit 33(11), your bank was not under court order, and you have no report of fraud,” Daudu asked.
“That is correct, my lord,” the witness responded.
On payments made to Fayzade Business Enterprise, a company, Egoro said an inflow from Okene LGA on May 6, 2022, was for the supply of reading materials.
He listed other payments from Ogorimagongo, Okehi, Omala and Yagba LGAs as being for education materials (N4.4 million), medical items (N7.5 million), sporting equipment (N10.8 million) and medical consumables (N12.2 million), among others.
The witness said other payments were also made for agrochemicals, farm inputs and medical consumables.
When asked whether Bello was a local government chairman, Egoro responded, “No, the defendant wasn’t a local government chairman.”
Interjecting, Kemi Pinheiro, EFCC counsel, said money laundering transactions were often disguised.
“My lord, there is this casual statement I learnt from my leader that this is a case of money laundering where payments can be made in disguise,” Pinheiro said.
In response, Daudu said, “Not all casual statements are made to go without reply, my lord.”
“Very soon, we will know that this is not a money laundering trial but a political trial,” he added.
Meanwhile, the defence sought to tender certified true copies (CTCs) of documents from another court proceeding.
Pinheiro said the prosecution had no objection to the documents but raised a procedural issue over the absence of receipts showing payment for the certified copies.
While ruling on the objection, Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, held that the documents could only be admitted upon the presentation of the required receipts, agreeing with the prosecution’s position.
Daudu subsequently informed the court that efforts are ongoing to retrieve the receipts.
Nwite adjourned the matter to February 5 for the continuation of cross-examination of the witness.
