*Mentions ex-gov Bello in amended charge
Alex Enumah in Abuja
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),has increased the charge against Mr Ali Bello; a relation of former Kogi State Governor, Mr Yahaya Bello and one Dauda Suleiman from 10 to 17.
In the amended charge read against the two defendants, the former governor and two others said to be complicity in the alleged offences, the defendants were charged with, were said to be “at large”.
Ali Bello, Chief of Staff to current Kogi State Governor, Mr Usman Ododo and his co-defendant are standing trial before Justice James Omotosho of a Federal High Court in Abuja, on a 10-count charge bordering on misappropriation and laundering of funds belonging to Kogi State.
As in the earlier charge, the defendants also pleaded not guilty to the whole 17 amended charge.
In the amended charge, the EFCC alleged that the defendants alongside others said to be “at large” diverted over N100 billion belonging to the state government.
The alleged offences according to the charge were committed in September 2015, before Bello assumed office as governor.
Before, the amended charge was read, the defendants through their lawyers objected to taking their pleas, on the grounds that the amended charge was not endorsed by the judge in accordance with Section 218 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.
Bello’s lawyer, A.M. Aliyu, SAN, urged the court to decline the request that the charge be read against the defendants until the law is complied with.
This position was countered by prosecution lawyer, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo SAN, who urged the court to dismiss the submissions of the defendants on the grounds, that the court had on its own endorsed the amendment.
In a brief ruling, Justice Omotoso, who recalled that he had granted accelerated hearing in the matter because the court has not made any meaningful progress since the case was filed, ordered that all forms of objections must be kept in abeyance till the address stage.
He then directed the Registrar of the Court to read the amended charge to the defendants.
In count one, the former governor, alongside the two defendants were accused of conspiring with each other in September, 2015 to convert over N80 million to their personal use.
The alleged offence contravened Section 18 (a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011, because they ought to have reasonably known that the money was a product of fraud and criminal breach of public trust.
In other charges, Alli Bello and Dauda Suleiman were alleged to have concealed several millions of naira with one Rabiu Musa Tafada, a Bureau De Change operator trading under Global Venture in Abuja.
Shortly after the charge was read against the defendants, Aliyu orally applied to the court that one of the EFCC witnesses, Edward Banada, be recalled for fresh cross-examination in view of the contents of the amended charge.
The request was granted by Justice James Kolawole Omotoso due to no opposition from the EFCC lawyer.
Meanwhile, Justice Omotoso has ordered that Alli Bello and Dauda Suleman should continue to enjoy the bail conditions granted them in the previous charge.
