The Federal High Court in Abuja has set February 20 for its decision on a bail application submitted by Ali Bello, the nephew of Yahaya Bello, the governor of Kogi State.
Due to his alleged participation in a three billion fraud, Bello is currently being tried.
On February 8, 2023, Bello was charged with a total of 18 counts of criminal offenses along with Abba Adauda, Yakubu Siyaka Adabenege, and Iyadai Sadat in front of Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court of Abuja.
Ahmed Raji, a senior Nigerian attorney, requested bail on Tuesday because the offenses brought against his clients are legally allowable in that circumstance.
Trial Justice Obiora Egwuatu stated that he would evaluate the merit of the requests for bail that Bello’s three alleged accomplices also submitted, pending the outcome of the prosecution’s case against them.
In the application, the SAN argued that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has been investigating the defendants in the past one year without any untoward behaviour from his clients.
He dismissed the allegations by the EFCC that defendants are flight risk and would tamper with evidence if granted bail.
Supporting his arguments, Raji further argued that the EFCC granted one of his defendants faithful return to Nigeria and surrendered his traveling passport to EFCC having been permitted by the anti-graft agency to travel to Saudi Arabia.
Opposing the bail request, counsel to the EFCC, Mr Mohammed Husseini, claimed that if admitted to bail, the defendants will tamper with evidence as well as interfere with witnesses.
He also argued that the defendants are likely to jump bail and not make themselves available for trial.
Husseini accordingly urged the court to deny the defendants bail.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu declared that ruling on the bail applications would be delivered on Monday, February 20, 2023.
The defendants were in count one charged with procuring, “E- Traders International Limited to retain the aggregate sum of N3,081,804,654.00 which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful activity to wit: criminal misappropriation, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to sections 18(a), 15(20)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.
They were also charged with procuring, “E-Traders International Limited to transfer the aggregate sum of $570,330 to account number no; 426-6644272 domiciled in TD Bank, United States of America, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful activity to with: criminal misappropriation, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.”