Olomotane Egoro, the seventh witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the alleged money laundering trial of the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has maintained that the name of the former governor did not appear either as beneficiary or signatory to any of the exhibits tendered by EFCC before the Federal High Court in Abuja
While being cross-examined before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, the witness subpoenaed from Access Bank, also admitted that no transaction in Exhibit 33(8) (statement of accounts) mentioned the former governor’s name.
The witness was taken through the bank accounts of the following companies – E. Traders International Limited, Keyless Nature Limited, Westwood Motors Limited and Fazab Business Enterprise.
They were the companies said by EFCC to have been awarded various contracts by local governments in Kogi State.
After scrutinising the account opening packages and statements of accounts of the companies tendered by EFCC, the witness admitted the following;
“That Yahaya Bello’s name did not feature as a signatory to any of the account opening packages.
“He was not named as a party to any of the transactions by the companies and also not named as a beneficiary of any of the payments.”
The witness reiterated that the withdrawals between May and December 2022, which were mentioned during his examination-in-chief, were within the cash withdrawal threshold of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
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On the issue of suspicious transactions, the report said to have been reported to the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), he said not all cash withdrawals by one Siyaka Yakubu were suspicious.
Counsel to the Defendant, Joseph Daudu, SAN, asked if the outflow that was transferred by Siyaka to any person in Exhibit 33(8) will not amount to a Suspicious Transaction (ST).
“For example, the N20 million for the supply of education materials will not qualify as a suspicious transaction?”
The witness replied in the negative.
“So, that will natutally go for all other outflows for which reasons or purposes were given?” the Defendant’s Counsel asked.
“My lord, it is not all cash withdrawals that are suspicious and not all transfers that are suspicious or illegal,” the witness said.
He also agreed that he did not know the business relationship between the two companies mentioned in some outflows from October to December 2022, and that he also did not know the purpose of the transactions.
Midway into the proceedings, Justice Emeka Nwite admitted the Certified True Copy of the proceedings before Justice Obiora Egwuatu as Exhibit 35(D-2).
The Access Bank compliance officer was then told to confirm Exhibit 34(1) and Exhibit 34(2) as the Kogi Government House Account Opening Package and the Government House Administration Account, respectively, which he did.
He also admitted that he was not the relationship manager, especially on Exhibit 34(2), adding that he was also not familiar with the workings of the Kogi State Government House.
Looking at Exhibit 34(1), the witness confirmed that the name ‘Aminu Jimoh Olanrewaju’ appeared as one of the signatories to the account.
He also confirmed that all the withdrawals in Exhibit 34(2), in tranches of N10 million each, made by Aminu Jimoh Olanrewaju, did not exceed the limit of cash withdrawal set by the CBN.
This, he admitted, was the same for the cash withdrawals by Abdulsalam Hudu in Exhibit 34(2).
The banker confirmed that the name of the former governor did not appear in the Exhibit.
He also admitted that the former governor was not a signatory in Exhibit 34(1), the Kogi State Government House Administration Bank accounts
The witness was then told to look at the account opening package and statement of account of E-Traders International Limited, from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2022, domiciled at the Maraba branch of Access Bank.
He gave the signatories as Abdullahi Jamilu and Salisu Abdulmajeed, saying the occupation recorded against both names was “sale of system and appliances.”
On certain multiple transactions made up of withdrawals and deposits by Abdullahi Jamilu, the witness agreed that, as a signatory to the account, the customer, Jamilu, had a right to transact.
He also agreed that he did not know the purpose of the transactions except as stated in the column of the transaction.
The Prosecution Counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, thereafter called its eighth witness, Gabriel Ochoche, a staff member of First City Monument Bank, FCMB.
He was given Exhibit 37, Bank account of Kunfayakun Global Company to confirm that it covered the period: 29th June, 2021 to 31st December, 2024, which he did.
The witness took the court through the inflows and outflows on the accounts of Keyless Nature Limited and Kunfayakun Global Business Enterprise.
He confirmed multiple transactions between Eja Dams Essence Limited and Kunfayakun, dated 18th February, 2022.
After his examination, the Defendant’s Counsel said he needed to go through the evidence before he could cross-examine the eighth witness.
Prosecution Counsel, Pinheiro SAN, objected, claiming that the proof of evidence had been given to the defence team over two years ago.
Justice Nwite, however, said he asked if the learned silk could go on with cross-examination because he (Judge) was totally exhausted. responded.
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