A Federal High Court in Abuja has been urged to grant bail to Ali Bello and three others facing trial on an alleged N3 billion fraud charge brought by the Federal Government.
Ali is a nephew of Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello and was arraigned, alongside others, on an 18-count criminal charge before Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on February 8.
Ahmed Raji, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, made this request earlier today, telling the court that the offences brought against his clients are ordinarily bail-able in the law’s eyes.
In his bail application, Raji said that in the past year, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had been investigating the defendants, with his clients cooperating, adding that the anti-graft agency admitted them to administrative bail before bringing them to court.
Raji told the court that after the EFCC granted one of the defendants permission to travel to Saudi Arabia, he surrendered his travelling passport to EFCC upon arriving in the country, dismissing the accusations by EFCC that respondents are a flight risk and would interfere with witnesses if given bail.
He averred that asides from being bare allegations, the EFCC did not support the claim with any iota of evidence, pleading with the court to use its discretion to favour the clients since bail is at the will of the law court.
Mr Mohammed Husseini, counsel to the EFCC, intensely opposed the application, claiming that the defendants are probable to jump bail and not make themselves available for trial, tamper with evidence, and interfere with witnesses if granted bail, thus, urged the court to deny them bail.
Read also: Yahaya Bello’s nephew remanded in prison over N3bn fraud
Justice Obiora Egwuatu, in a brief ruling, announced that a 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”.
