Ali Bello, a nephew of Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello has been arraigned before Justice Obiora Egwuatu of a Federal High Court Abuja by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC on Wednesday.
In a statement on its Twitter handle, the EFCC stated that Bello was docked alongside Abba Adauda, Yakubu Siyaka Adabenege, Iyada Sadat, Rashida Bello on 18-count charge bordering on criminal misappropriation and money laundering to the tune of N3,081,804,654.00.
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The count according to a statement by the spokesperson for the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren reads;
Count one, “That you, Ali Bello, Abba Abba Adauda, Yakubu Siyaka Adabenege, Iyada Sadat, Rashida Bello (at large) sometime in June, 2020 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court procured 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.”
Count three read, “That you, Ali Bello, Abba Abba Adauda, and Rashida Bello (at large)sometime in November 2021, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court procured E-Traders International Limited to transfer the aggregate sum of $570,330 to account number 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 wit: criminal misappropriation and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 25(2)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15(3) of the same act.”
The defendants pleaded “not guilty” to all the charges preferred against them, in view of which the prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, urged the court to give a trial date to enable the prosecution to prove its case.
Justice Egwuatu adjourned the case till 13 February, 2023 and ordered that the defendants be remanded in a correctional center pending the determination of the bail application prayed for by the defence counsel, Ahmed Raji, SAN.
Nnamdi Maduakor is a Writer, Investor and Entrepreneur
