By Desire Emmanuel
The sixth Prosecution Witness (PW6) in the trial of former Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State and two others on Wednesday, November 12, narrated how an official of the government withdrew more than N1 billion in four days in 2018.
Bello is being prosecuted before Justice Maryanne Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalam Hudu by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
They are being prosecuted by the EFCC on a 16-count charge bordering on breach of trust.
They were alleged to have committed the criminal breach of trust in respect of the sum of N110,446,470,089, among others.
Bello and his co-defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them.
At the resumed hearing in the matter on Wednesday, the PW6, Mshelia Arhyel Bata, a Compliance Officer with Zenith Bank Plc, narrated how Hudu made various cash withdrawals running into billions of naira from the Kogi State Government House account.
Led in his evidence by prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, Bata told the court that the third defendant withdrew the sum of over N1 billion between January 30 and February 2, 2018 from the account.
According to him, “Between January 30 and February 2, 2018, the total cash withdrawals by Abdulsalam Hudu was N1,096,444,300 in four days.”
Reading from the Government House’s statement of account, earlier tendered and marked as exhibit, the PW6 gave the breakdown of the four-day withdrawal.
He informed the court that Hudu withdrew the sums of N350 million on January 30, 2018; N347.267 million on January 31, 2018.
He added that the third defendant withdrew N300 million and N99,177,300 on February 1 and February2, 2018 respectively.
The witness had earlier in the proceeding given various amounts of cash withdrawn by Hudu, including N200 million withdrawn through 21 withdrawals on February 12, 2016.
He also told the court that the third defendant made a total of 40 withdrawals on December 21, 2016.
He added that Hudu made 21 withdrawals totalling N203,240,000 on May 9,2017, among other multiple withdrawals he (Hudu) made.
“I can confirm numerous cash withdrawals made by Absulsalam Hudu which are in consistent pattern,” Bata told the court.
According to him, there were other withdrawals made by one Umar Comfort Olufunke from the account in November to December 2016 and January to April, 2017.
Following the request of adjournment made by counsel for Bello and Oricha, Abdullahi Yahaya SAN, Justice Anenih adjourned till Thursday, November 13, for cross examination of PW6 by the defence
