The Chief of Staff to Kogi State Governor, Alli Bello, and one Daudu Suleiman were on Thursday re-arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission at the Federal High Court in Abuja for allegedly misappropriating N84bnn.
The anti-graft agency had on December 15, 2022, arraigned Bello who is also a nephew of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, and Suleiman, on 10 counts of alleged misappropriation and money laundering.
The EFCC accused Bello, alongside Hudu, a cashier at the Kogi State Government House who is at large, of withdrawing N10 billion from the state’s treasury for personal use.
In the amended charges, the EFCC increased the counts to 17 and bordered on Money laundering, breach of trust, and misappropriation of funds to the tune of N84bn.
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The name of the immediate past governor of the state, Bello was mentioned in one of the counts and was said to be at large.
Count one of the charges read, “That you, Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman, Yahaya Adoza Bello (still at large) and Abdulsalam Hudu (still at large), sometime in September 2015 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves to convert the total sum of N80bn which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activity to wit: criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(b) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended.”
The EFCC also accused Alli Bello and Dauda Suleman of concealing several millions of naira with one Rabiu Musa Tafada, a Bureau De Change operator trading under Global Venture in Abuja.
The defendants pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them.
The trial judge, Justice James Omotoso ordered that Alli Bello and Suleman should continue to enjoy the bail conditions granted them in the previous charges.
The matter was subsequently adjourned til March 20 and March 21 for trial continuation.
(Punch)