The sixth Prosecution Witness (PW6) in the trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, for alleged money laundering, on Wednesday told the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court how an official of the state government withdrew more than N1billion in four days in 2018.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned the former governor alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalam Hudu on a 16-count charge of breach of trust.
The commission alleged that the defendants diverted N110, 446,470,089 belonging to the state government.
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 on different dates between 2016 and 2018.
Bata, who was led in his evidence by prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), told the court that the third defendant withdrew the sum of N110, 446,470,089 between January 30 and February 2, 2018 from the account.
He said: “Between January 30 and February 2, 2018, the total cash withdrawals by Abdulsalam Hudu were N1, 096,444,300 in four days.”
He informed the court that Hudu withdrew the sums of N350 million on January 30, 2018 and N347, 267,000 on January 31, 2018.
“The third defendant withdrew N300 million and N99, 177,300 on February 1 and February 2, 2018 respectively.
“I can confirm numerous cash withdrawals made by Absulsalam Hudu which are in consistent pattern,” he added.
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The witness revealed that there were other withdrawals made by one Umar Comfort Olufunke from the account in November and December 2016 as well as January to April 2017.
Following the request of adjournment made by counsel for Bello and Oricha, Abdullahi Yahaya (SAN), Justice Maryanne Anenih adjourned the matter till Thursday for cross-examination of PW6 by the defence.