- The Inside Details why ex-Gov Bello’s Lawyer Withdrew
By Abiola Olawale
Adeola Adedipe (SAN), one of the legal counsel representing former Governor Yahaya Bello, has requested to withdraw from the N80.2 billion fraud case before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Adedipe made this known during court proceedings on Thursday.
Following the continued non-appearance of Bello in court for the scheduled arraignment, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday argued before the court that his legal representatives should be docked for their failure to fulfil an obligation they had agreed to.
Leading the arguments, the legal counsel for the EFCC, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, prayed the court to punish the two senior lawyers who always represented the former governor, insisting that they had breached the rules of professional conduct.
He said: “My lord, our application is that since one of the lawyers is present in court, he should be moved to the dock and dealt with summarily, that is what the law says.
“We urge the court to exercise disciplinary jurisdiction over the lawyers to preserve the integrity of the judiciary.
“If a Chief Justice of Nigeria can be docked before an inferior tribunal, who then is a SAN or a former governor in terms of status?
“Even a former President of the United States of America was docked. These senior lawyers have been helping the defendant to treat this court with scorn.
“For five consecutive sittings, the defendant refused to make himself available for his trial and his lawyers have continued to use all forms of chicanery to frustrate his arraignment.
“If this sort of conduct is not punished, then we will be sliding to a situation that will be worse than the Animal Farm.
“The world is watching. Punishing these senior lawyers will send a very clear message.”
However, in his response, Adedipe, SAN, told the court that he was not Bello’s lead counsel.
He also denied being part of any undertaking to ensure the presence of Bello in the court.
He said in light of the turn the case had taken, he had no option but to activate the provision of section 349(8) of ACJA, 2015, by withdrawing his appearance for the defendant.
He said: “My lord, the narration by the prosecution counsel is very untrue and it is accentuated by malice. I am not the lead counsel in this matter.
“What the learned prosecution counsel has tried to do was to pitch my person against this court.
He argued that it was the EFCC that treated the court with disrespect as it failed to execute the warrant it obtained for the arrest of the defendant.
Adedipe, SAN, said his team had earlier notified the court that it was not aware of the whereabouts of the former governor.
Meanwhile, the presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite is yet to rule on the matter
The New Diplomat reports that Bello, Ali Bello, Dauda Suliman, and Abdulsalam Hudu (still at large) are accused of conspiring in February 2016 to convert N80,246,470,088.88, which was allegedly obtained through a criminal breach of trust, violating Section 18(a) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended.
Between July 26, 2021, and April 6, 2022, Yahaya Bello is alleged to have aided E-Traders International Limited in concealing N3,081,804,654.00 in an Access Bank account, knowing it was from unlawful activity, thereby violating Sections 18(a) and 15(2)(d) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
Additionally, in November 2021, Bello was said to have allegedly procured E-Traders International Limited to transfer $570,330.00 to a TD Bank account in the USA, also from unlawful activity, violating Section 15(2)(d) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended.
