Olomotane Egoro, a compliance officer with Access Bank, says Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi, is neither a beneficiary nor signatory to the companies linked to funds withdrawn from state’s LGAs’ accounts.
Egoro appeared before the federal high court in Abuja on Thursday for the cross examination of his earlier testimony in Bello’s trial.
Bello is facing trial at the federal high court in Abuja on a 19-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering involving N80.2 billion.
Egoro had previously appeared before the court to explain how funds allegedly belonging to Kogi LGAs were traced to Fazab Business Enterprise and E-traders International Limited.
He had informed the court that N2.5 billion belonging to some Kogi LGAs were paid into the account of Fazab Business Enterprise within eight months in 2022.
He also stated that one Yakubu Siyaka made cash withdrawals from the company’s account.
The compliance officer had also told the court that N3.1 billion belonging to Kogi LGAs were lodged in the account of E-Traders International.
At the resumption of proceedings on Thursday, Joseph Dauda, counsel to the former Kogi governor, cross examined the compliance officer based on his previous testimony.
The witness was asked questions based on the transactions of the following companies: E. Traders International Limited, Keyless Nature Limited, Westwood Motors Limited and Fazab Business Enterprise.
He told the court that Bello’s name did not appear as a beneficiary in all the transactions in the companies’ accounts.
Asked if the account opening packages of the company showed Bello as a signatory or director, the compliance officer said former governor’s name did not feature.
He said Bello was not named as a party to any of the companies’ financial transactions, adding that not all withdrawals made by Siyaka were suspicious.
The banker said he did not know the business relationship between the two companies mentioned in some outflows from October to December 2022, and that he did not also know the purpose of the transactions.
After the cross examination, Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, adjourned the case to March 3 and 9 for continuation of trial.
