Ali Bello, nephew of Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello has been remanded by Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja over N3.081 billion fraud allegation.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday arraigned Ali Bello who was arraigned before Justice Egwuatu alongside Abba Adauda, Yakubu Siyaka Adabenege, Iyada Sadat, Rashida Bello (at large) on 18 counts bordering on criminal misappropriation of funds and money laundering to the tune of N3.081 billion.
The EFCC in a statement noted that Bello, Adaudu, Adabenege, Sadat and Rashida (at large) sometime in June 2020 in Abuja procured E-Traders International Limited to retain the aggregate sum of N3.081 billion which they reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful activity.
Similarly, the anti-graft agency said that the defendants sometime in November 2021 in Abuja procured 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 they reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful activity to with: criminal misappropriation, and 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.
When arraigned before the Federal High Court on Wednesday, the defendants pleaded “not guilty” to all the charges preferred against them, hence, the prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), urged the court to give a trial date to enable the prosecution to prove its case.
But the defence counsel, Ahmed Raji (SAN), as reported by Sahara Reporters prayed the court to grant Bello bail pending the hearing and determination of the case.
However, Justice Egwuatu ordered that the defendants should be remanded in a correctional centre pending the determination of the bail application. He subsequently adjourned the case till February 13, 2023.
