BBC Pidgin of Tuesday, 10 December 2024
Source: BBC
Di Federal High Court for Abuja don deny Yahaya Bello bail
Di former Kogi State govnor bin arrive for FCT High Court, Abuja for im bail application for case wey e get to answer on allegations of fraud.
Yahaya dey face corruption charges wey pass N100 billion wey e allegedly divert wen e be govnor, according to di EFCC.
Justice Maryanne Anenih for her ruling, note say records show say di first defendant (Yahaya Bello) bin dey arraigned on 27 November, after authorities take am into custody on di 26. But im bail application dey filed on 22 November, several days before dem take am into custody or arraign am.
Di Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA say although an application for bail fit dey made before di arraignment of di defendant, e get to be either after dem don take di defendant into custody or e don appear before di court.
Records show say on November 22 wen di first defendant file for bail, dem neither don take am into custody and e bin never appear before di court, or say dem bring am before di court.
Wetin e mean be say di jurisdiction of di court for dey invoked too early and as such, di court dey robbed of jurisdiction in di matter.
“I hold say di instant application by di first defendant dey incompetent and hereby struck out,” Justice Maryanne Anenih rule.
Meanwhile, di former govnor lawyer bin argue make di court grant Bello bail sake of say e bin travel outside Nigeria only two times inside di eight years of im tenure as govnor for Kogi state and say e no get di tendency to jump bail.
Di court however, grant di second defendant bail wey reach di sum of 300M naira with two sureties in like sum.
Umar Orcha na di second defendant wey EFCC arrest for August and dem bin grant am administrative bail before im arraignment for court.
Justice Anenih bin rule say although Umar Orcha na di current director general of di Kogi State govment house, di prosecution counsel no provide any oda material evidence to prove say e go interfere wit di trial.
Court also grant di 3rd defendant, Abdulsalami Hudu, a permanent secretary for di Kogi State civil service bail with di same conditions.
Di matter don dey adjourned to 29 January, February 25 and 27 for continuation.
Wetin happun for di November 27 court sitting
For di last sitting wey shelle for 27 November, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and leader of Bello defence team, Joseph Daudu, bin tell di court say dem wan move motion for bail for dia clients, but Kemi Pinheiro (SAN) wey dey in charge of di prosecution team, oppose di application, as e tok say e don expire since October.
Pinheiro bin add say dem dey ready for trial and dem come court wit dia witnesses, but Daudu tell di court say di EFCC formally serve dem di charge sheet one day bifor di stting and im go need time to prepare im clients.
Oga Bello bin plead not guilty to di 110.4 billion naira corruption charge wey di anti-corruption agency sama am.
Afta arguments for and against granting bail to di accused pesins, Justice Anenih den fix December 10 to rule on di matter.
Di former govnor go still remain for di financial crimes joinbodi custody as di judge no grant am bail for di 10 December sitting.
Di case against Yahaya Bello
Among di charges wey EFCC sama Yahaya Bello na:
16-count charges wey border on criminal breach of trust, conspiracy to commit offence to di tune of N110.4 Billion.
18-count charges of money laundering to di tune of N80.2billion, wey dey bifor Justice Emeka Nwite of di Federal High Court Abuja.
Anoda case between di EFCC and Yahaya Bello still dey on bifor Justice James Omotosho of di Federal High Court Abuja.
Di EFCC bin file corruption charges of about N10 billion against di padi padi of Yahaya Bello, including im nephew, Ali Bello, and anoda defendant, for 2022.
However, on February 5, 2024, wey be one week afta im tenure as govnor expire, di EFCC bin amend di 2022 charges, raise am from 10 to 17 counts, and name Yahaya Bello as accomplice but not defendant.
Di EFCC bin accuse Bello say e conspire wit Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdusalam Hudu to convert more dan N80 billion wey belong to Kogi State to dia personal use, and dem commit di crime for September 2015.
Apart from di over N80 billion wey Oga Bello allegedly convert to personal use, di EFCC also allege say di former govnor bin conspire wit one company for Abuja wit di name E-Traders International Limited “to hide di aggregate sum of over N3 billion (N3,081,804,654) for account number 1451458080 wey dey domiciled for Access Bank Plc”.
Also, di same company allegedly help Bello “to transfer di aggregate sum of $570,330 to account number 4266644272 wey dey domiciled for TD Bank, United States of America”.
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