The immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has sought the transfer of his trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to the Federal High Court in Lokoja, the state capital.
Bello made the application via a letter to the Chief Judge of the court, Justice John Tsoho.
The former governor said he preferred to be arraigned in Lokoja, being the place where the alleged money laundering offence was committed.
The former governor’s counsel, Adeola Adedipe (SAN), made this known when the matter came up before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, June 27, 2024.
Bello is facing charges bordering on money laundering, breach of trust and misappropriation of public funds to the tune of about N80.2bn preferred against him by the EFCC.
At the resumed hearing, Adedipe informed Justice Nwite that a letter requesting the transfer of the trial had already been delivered to Tsoho for his administrative decision.
The lawyer said the request for Lokoja was due to the fact that the court had territorial jurisdiction to hear the matter.
Adedipe said Bello’s legal team was still awaiting the response of the Chief Judge on the request for transfer of the case to Kogi State.
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“Although the letter requesting for transfer of this matter to Lokoja was written by Yahaya Bello’s lead counsel, Abdulwahab Mohammed (SAN), I am however under obligation to draw the attention of this honourable court to the issue,” Adedipe added.
Adedipe said the prosecution had been notified and their opinion had been sought via a letter dated June 14 from the CJ’s office.
The letter addressed to EFCC counsel Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) was signed by the Special Assistant to the Chief Judge, Joshua Ibrahim AJI.
The letter read in part: “You will find attached the copy of a letter by counsel to the defendant on the above subject matter, dated 10th June 2024.
“I am directed by His Lordship, the Honourable, the Chief Judge, to forward the letter to you for your response within six days of receipt.”
However, the request for transfer was vehemently opposed by the EFCC’s lead counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), who described the request as an attempt to frustrate the trial.
The EFCC lawyer pleaded with Justice Nwite to hold Adedipe and Mohammed, the two senior advocates in the defence team, responsible for their inability to produce their client in court, despite the undertakings they made.
The EFCC lawyer also requested that the two SANs be cited for contempt of the court.
Justice Nwite, thereafter, adjourned the matter until July 17, 2024, for Bello’s arraignment and ruling on the request of the EFCC to cite the two lawyers for contempt.
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