A witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abimbola Williams has told a Federal High court in Abuja that the name of former Governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello did not feature in any of the account opening packages for Government House Bank account with the United Bank for Africa (UBA).
The witness, a Compliance Officer with UBA also admitted before the court that Bello's name did not feature in all the withdrawals made from the account number 1003889575 managed by UBA for the Kogi Government House Administration while Yahaya Bello was the Governor.
Testifying in a money laundering charges brought against the former Governor by EFCC, the banker who was subpoenaed by court tendered the account opening packages for Government House Administration under the governorship of Bello. The subpoena, according to the prosecution, requested for the production of the statement of account of one Maselina Njoku, from 1st January, 2019 to 31st December, 2020.
Led in evidence by EFCC counsel, Kemi Pinheiro SAN, the witness also tendered the account statements operated while Bello held sway as Chief Executive of Kogi state. Specifically, she named one Abdulsalami Hudu as the person handling fund withdrawals on behalf of the Government House.
However, under cross examination by Joseph Daudu SAN, the lead counsel to Yahaya Bello, the UBA Compliance Officer said that Bello's name did not feature in virtually all transactions in respect of the bank account. She also admitted that she was not the accounts officer of the Kogi Government House account and that the account is domiciled in Lokoja, Kogi State, and not in Area 3, Abuja, where she works.
The witness confirmed 10 withdrawals in favour of Abdulsalam Hudu, in the sum of N10 million each on December 12, 2018. She said the withdrawals were done with cheques and presented across the counter
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