Trial in the ongoing prosecution of Yahaya Bello, the erstwhile Governor of Kogi State resumed today in Abuja. Parties appeared before Hon. Justice Josephine Anenih to continue proceedings in the High tension legal battle.
Shehu Bala ‘Bello’, testifying for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), today underwent extensive cross-examination at the hands of defence counsel in the ongoing trial of former Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello.
The witness, who was subsequently discharged after what a journalist observing proceedings described as ‘a grilling’, is now the seventeenth prosecution witness (PW17) called by the EFCC since the commencement of the trial.
During a lengthy and detailed cross-examination, defence counsel subjected the witness to questions bordering on his relationship with Ali Bello whom he testified at the last hearing yesterday to have had dealings with, including the acquisition of various properties, the source of funds utilised in those transactions, and the ownership structure of the assets that have featured prominently in the prosecution’s case.
Despite the extensive questioning, the witness failed to directly link former Governor Yahaya Bello to the ownership, purchase, financing or control of the disputed properties and funds under scrutiny before the court. He also clarified that ‘Bello’ in his name is purely concidently, and that he is not related to the former Governor.
Under questioning, PW17 exonerated Bello from allegation of having had business dealings with him. He maintained that his dealings related principally to his own business and property transactions and he did not have direct business with the former governor on any of the properties and other assets in issue.
The development is being viewed by courtroom observers as another difficult outing for the prosecution, which has now called seventeen witnesses without allegedly producing direct evidence tying the former governor to the properties and financial transactions at the centre of the charges.
Proceedings are currently ongoing. More details later…