On Wednesday, the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja adjourned further proceedings in the money laundering charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) levied against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, till January 21, 2025.
News About Nigeria reports that the decision was reached by Justice Emeka Nwite to enable him to rule on an application the anti-graft agency filed to be allowed to try the former governor in absentia.
Earlier at the court, the EFCC Lawyer, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, told the court that the Commission was ready to proceed with the trial despite the unavailability of the defendant.
This is as he stated that efforts to get Yahaya Bello to voluntarily appear before the court to enter his plea to the 19-count charge against him proved abortive.
He said, “Therefore, my lord, my first application is for this court to formally enter a plea of not guilty for the defendant, even in his absence. The second point is that, not withstanding his physical absence, such procedure will be in full compliance with Section 276 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015. It is our humble request that we be allowed to call our first witness. What prejudice will the defendant suffer if my lord enters a plea of guilty or not guilty in his absence? Even if he was in court and pleaded not guilty, the situation will still be the same. The entry of the plea of not guilty by your lordship is an invitation to the prosecution to come and prove the veracity of the allegations.”
On his part, Yahaya Bello’s lawyer, Michael Adoyi, prayed the court to refuse the application.
“Our first point of response to the application made by the learned senior counsel to the complainant is that the application is made contrary to the subsisting order of this honourable court that no application can be entertained in the absence of the arraignment of the defendant. The application made by the learned senior counsel for the complainant this morning is a dangerous invitation to this honourable court to aide the prosecution in the performance of its duty of presenting the defendant before the court for arraignment and subsequent trial,” Adoyi argued.
The Judge after listening to both parties adjourned the matter for ruling until January 21, 2025.
