EFCC files Yahaya Bello’s lawyer complaint in court – National Accord Newspaper

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has served a copy of the charge sheet of alleged fraud to the tune of N84bn against the former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, on his lawyer, Abdulwahab Mohamed.

This follows an order on Tuesday by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja following Bello’s absence from court.

He was absent from court due to his arraignment on a 19-count indictment for alleged money laundering amounting to ₦84 billion.

The judge relied on section 384 (4 and 5) of the Administrative and Criminal Justice Act 2015, referring counsel to the immediate past governor to receive a copy of the charge.

The court ruled that when it had become impossible to effect personal service of legal process on a suspect, this could be done by alternative means.

Judge Nwite further ruled that it was clear that the former governor had not appeared in court for his arraignment.

Although Bello’s lawyer, Mohammed, initially refused to accept the charges and evidence, he was forced to do so by Judge Nwite.

The judge rejected the senior lawyer’s plea that a junior lawyer in his team, AI Musa, be the one to accept the charge on behalf of the former governor.

A member of Bello’s legal team, Adedayo Adedipe, told the court that his client would have made himself available but was afraid of being arrested.

He added that Bello was ready to appear in court to answer the 19-count charge preferred against him by the EFCC.

Adedipe urged the court to set aside the ex-parte arrest warrant it earlier issued against the former governor, saying that at the time the arrest warrant was issued, the charge had not yet been served on his client .

Illegal organization?

Bello had argued that the EFCC was an illegal organization. According to him, the Federal Government did not consult the 36 states of the federation before passing the EFCC Act through the National Assembly. He added that Section 12 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, required the various Houses of Representatives to ratify the law before it could come into force.

Counsel to the EFCC, Kemi Phinheiro, however, urged the court to dismiss the application, insisting that the arrest warrant should not be set aside until the suspect makes himself available for trial.

He argued that Bello did not have the legal basis to file numerous applications while in hiding.

Judge Nwite had last week issued an injunction against Bello following an application to that effect by EFCC.

The EFCC subsequently declared the former governor wanted for his continued absence from court and for evading criminal charges against him.

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