Federal High Court Adjourns Hearing in Yahaya Bello’s Money Laundering Case
The Federal High Court in Abuja has postponed the money laundering case against former Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello until May 6, allowing for further hearings. The decision was made on Friday following a session in which the court continued to hear from the prosecution’s witnesses.
Cross-Examination of EFCC Witnesses Continues
Justice Emeka Nwaito ordered the adjournment to enable the defense attorney, Joseph Daudu (SAN), to continue his cross-examination of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s twelfth prosecution witness, Abdullahi Jamil. Jamil confirmed that he provided an initial statement to the EFCC on May 10, 2022, intended to “refresh his memory,” but stated that this was the only statement he had made regarding the case.
Exhibit Discrepancies and Witness Testimonies
During cross-examination, Jamil acknowledged that specific issues related to Wales Oil and Gas, Forza Oil and Gas, and Alesure Services were omitted from Exhibit 46. Furthermore, he admitted under questioning that he was not the author of Exhibit 13, calling the reliability of these documents into question.
Judge Rejects Defense Objections
Justice Nwaito previously dismissed the defense’s objections to the EFCC lawyers’ presentation of Exhibit 46, deeming the challenge speculative and flawed. Despite this, Jamil recalled having previously testified before his colleague, Justice Obiola Egwatu, in a separate matter, although he struggled to remember his exact witness number.
Notable Defendants in Related Cases
When prompted, Jamil confirmed that the defendants in the associated case were Mr. Ali Bello, Mr. Abba Adudu, Mr. Yakuba Siyaka Adabenege, and Mr. Iyadi Sadat. The attorney subsequently moved on to presenting documents that were accepted as Exhibit 47 without any objections.
Identifying Transactions and Collaborations
As the witness reviewed the submitted documents, he noted that the transactions discussed in Justice Egwatu’s courtroom and those in the current case displayed strong similarities. Jamil explained how he sought assistance from colleagues for dollar transfers due to limitations with his personal banking capabilities.
Remittances and Payment Instructions
Under further questioning from SAN lawyer Kemi Pinheiro, Jamil recalled relaying a few dollars to a police officer named Mr. Ali at the behest of Mr. Abba Adudu. He clarified that the aforementioned companies – Alesure Services, Wales Oil & Gas, and Forza Oil & Gas – are associated with his colleagues at Marquette. He stated that in instances of insufficient dollar inflow, he engaged with his colleagues to negotiate an appropriate exchange rate.
Jamil indicated that it was Mr. Adadu who directed the American International School Abuja (AISA) to process the payment, although he could not recall the name of the friend who accompanied him for the transaction. Notably, he confirmed that all remittances to AISA were completed successfully, followed by his forwarding of the remittance receipts to Adadu.
When asked about the contents of Exhibit 13, which included telex advice and tuition fee receipts, Jamil acknowledged that certain documents (P13 and P14) had not been submitted as part of his payment records. He took the opportunity to name the students for whom the payments were made.
With further cross-examination of PW-12 scheduled, Justice Nwaito adjourned the proceedings until May 6 and 7.
