Ill health of lead counsel stalls Yahaya Bello’s cousin’s trial

The absence of Mr. Ahmed Raji, SAN, the lead counsel for Ali Bello and three other co-defendants in a money laundering suit filed against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Tuesday at a Federal High Court in Abuja, stalled their trial.

Mr. Raji, according to Mariam Ediawe, a lawyer who held his brief, was indisposed.

Ediawe told Justice Obiora Egwuatu shortly after the matter was called for a hearing.

Mr. Bello, said to be a cousin to Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi, was arraigned on Feb. 8 alongside Abba Adauda, Yakubu Siyaka Adabenege, and Iyadai Sadat on an 18-count charge before Justice Egwuatu.

They were, however, admitted to a N500 million bail each on Feb. 20 in their N3 billion fraud trial.

Upon resumed hearing, Ediawe informed the court that an application had been filed by the defense team on May 26.

“My lord, the court record will show that we filed an application dated May 26, seeking an adjournment,” she said.

She said the application sought an adjournment on the ground that the lead counsel for the defendants, Raji, was very ill.

“We most humbly seek an adjournment, my lord,” she said.

Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, who appeared for the anti-graft agency, did not oppose the application.

The judge consequently adjourned the matter until July 17 and July 18 for trail continuation.

Supreme reports that the defendants were charged with procuring “E-Traders International Limited to retain the aggregate sum of N3,081,804,654.00, which sum reasonably ought to have been known to form part of the proceeds of unlawful activity, to wit: criminal misappropriation.

The offense, the anti-graft agency said, is contrary to sections 18(a) and 15(20)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011, as amended, and punishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act.