• Judge to rule on request July 21
A former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has requested the permission of a Federal High Court in Abuja to be allowed to travel abroad on medical grounds.
In an application filed by his lawyer, Joseph Daudu (SAN), Bello is also seeking the release of his international passport, which he deposited in the court as part of the conditions attached to the bail earlier granted him.
Bello is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on alleged money laundering charges involving about N80.2 billion.
Daudu drew the court’s attention to Bello’s fresh application during yesterday’s proceedings and urged the court to grant his client’s prayers.
Prosecuting lawyer, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN) said he had filed a counter-affidavit and contended that the application by Bello is technically incompetent.
Pinherio, who argued that the application amounted to an abuse of court’s process, said Bello filed similar application before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where he is also being prosecuted by the EFCC on another criminal case.
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Responding, Daudu said, the prosecution was the party guilty of abuse of court process.
He said: “We were served with the counter affidavit yesterday and we, overnight, filed a further affidavit to the complainant’s counter affidavit with two exhibits as well.
“My lord, the substance of the application is for the release of his international passport in line with the conditions for the bail that if he needs it, he has to apply to court.
“He has medical needs to attend to during the period of the vacation. After eight years of not traveling, he needs to attend to certain aspects of his health,” the defence lawyer said.
After listening to the lawyers’ arguments, Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned till July 21 for ruling.
Earlier, the fourth prosecution witness (PW4), Mshelia Arhyel Bata, who was under cross examination by Daudu, denied claim by Pinheiro that he was harassed by security agents attached to Bello.
Bata, a Compliance Officer with Zenith Bank, said he saw the need to clear the air on the issue about his alleged harassment.
“My Lord, I wish to clarify the matter raised earlier before the commencement of proceedings.
“I was not harassed by any of the security details attached to the defendant. I was not harassed at all, and I felt the need to clarify this, my lord,” he stated.
The defence lawyer commended the witness for his honesty and integrity in coming forward to clarify the situation.
Daudu subsequently drew the court’s attention to a story on the EFCC’s website, claiming that its witness was harassed.
The defence lawyer accused the EFCC of misrepresenting facts in relation to the proceedings of the previous day.
Pinheiro then intervened and promised to call the attention of the appropriate EFCC’s officials to the issue raised by Daudu.
In his testimony yesterday, Bata confirmed that Bello was neither a signatory to nor connected with any of the accounts presented as evidence.
He admitted that going through Exhibit 22A, from pages 24 to 413, Yahaya Bello was not also listed on any of the documents as a beneficiary of any transaction.
He said: “I am here to speak on the documents before me. From the document, His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello’s name did not feature in any description or as beneficiary in any transaction in the documents before me.”
The compliance officer had earlier mentioned the signatories on the accounts managed for the Kogi State Government House Administration and also confirmed letters that introduced those who replaced some key officials along the line.
The witness had earlier explained that he supervises a cluster of 13 branches of Zenith Bank within Abuja and admitted that his clusters did not extend beyond the Federal Capital Territory.
At the conclusion of his testimony, Justice Nwite adjourned till July 3 and 4 for continuation of trial.