Fraud: Access Bank admits Ali Bello’s co-defendant not featured on Kogi State bank transactions

Olom Otane Egoro, a compliance officer from Access Bank has told the Federal High Court Abuja that the name of Daudu Sulaiman, a co-defendant to Ali Bello, did not feature on the bank statements of the Kogi State Government House in Access Bank, between 2019 and 2021.

Egoro disclosed this on Thursday during cross-examination following an amended money-laundering charge instituted against the nephew of former Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello, Ali and Sulaiman.

Bello, who is currently the Chief of Staff to Kogi State Governor, Usman Dodo, and others were sued by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged misappropriation of state funds and money laundering.

But the defendants pleaded not guilty to the amended charges.

We previously reported that the Egoro had narrated how multi-million naira was deposited into the Kogi State bank account and was simultaneously withdrawn by cash, at different times, in 2019.

Egoro had said the cash withdrawals, which happened several times on the same day of deposit, were mostly N10 million at each withdrawal.

The bank worker told the court that his testimony was based on bank statements of the Kogi State Government House in Access Bank, between 2019 and 2021.

Oyedepo had urged the court to admit the documents as exhibits in evidence and it was approved.

At the resumed sitting yesterday, Egorowas cross-examined by Ali Bello’s counsel Abubakar Aliyu, (SAN).

Under cross-examination, the witness admitted that the staff of the compliance unit of the bank are not the ones that run and maintain the servers of the bank where information on bank transactions is generated.

He added that it was the duty of the bank’s ICT Department to manage the bank servers.

Lawyer to Suleiman, Olusegun Jolaawo, SAN, equally asked him if his client deposited or withdrew money in connection to the current charges.

The witness said his name did not feature in the bank exhibits before him and the court.

After his testimony, the court discharged him from the witness box and adjourned the proceedings.