The Economic Finance and Crime Commission on Thursday, arraigned Ali Bello, a nephew to Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, for a N10 billion fraud.
EFCC spokesperson Wilson Uwujaren, said in a statement on Thursday, that Mr Bello and was arraigned alongside another defendant before James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The other defendant was Dauda Sulaiman. Another defendant, Abdulsalami Hudu, the cashier of the Kogi State House Administration, was said to be at large.
They face 10 charges of misappropriation and money laundering.
According to the EFCC’s statement, Messrs Bello and Sulaiman were remanded in prison pending the fulfillment of their bail conditions granted. The judge granted them bail in the sum of N1 billion each.
The defendants are accused of fraudulently withdrawing over N10 billion (N10, 270,556,800), from the Kogi State treasury, which they allegedly delivered to a bureau de change operator, Rabiu Tafada, in Abuja, to keep or change to foreign currencies for personal gains.
The defendants pleaded “not guilty” to the charges preferred against them by the EFCC.
Court session
In view of their pleas, prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), asked the court to fix a date for the commencement of trial.
The counsel for the second and third defendants, Abdulwahab Mohammed, also a SAN, informed the court of his application for the bail of the defendants.
The judge then granted the each of the defendants bail in the sum of N1 billion and two sureties.
The sureties are to provide a bond of N2 billion each and have a landed property valued at N500 million, the judge ordered.
The judge also ordered that the title of the properties shall be registered with the chief registrar of the court.
Each of the sureties and the defendants shall submit their bank statements and international passports to the chief registrar of the court.
The sureties must also produce an affidavit of means and evidence of tax clearance for at least 3 years.
The judge thereafter sent the defendants to Kuje Correctional centre, Abuja, pending the fulfillment of their bail conditions and adjourned the matter till 6 February 2023 for hearing.
Charges
One of the charges reads: “That you, ALI BELLO, DAUDA SULEIMAN AND ABDULSALAMI HUDU (NOW AT LARGE)between January and December, 2021, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court procured RABIU USMAN TAFADA to take possession of the total sum of N5,865,756,800 (Five Billion, Eight Hundred and Sixty Five Million, Seven Hundred and Fifty Six Thousand, Eight Hundred Naira), which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of unlawful activity to wit: criminal misappropriation from the treasury of Kogi State and you thereby committed an offence contrary to sections 18 (c), 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act”.
Another count reads: “That you, ALI BELLO, DAUDA SULEIMAN AND ABDULSALAMI HUDU (NOW AT LARGE) between January and December 2021, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court aided RABIU USMAN TAFADA to retain the total sum of N2,509,650,000.00 (Two Billion Five Hundred and Nine Million, Six Hundred and Fifty Thousand), which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity to wit: Criminal Misappropriation from the treasury of Kogi State Government and you thereby committed an offence contrary to sections 18 (a) 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act”.