Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello on Thursday appealed to the Federal High Court in Abuja to transfer his ongoing corruption case to Kogi State.
This request comes amid his trial for alleged involvement in an N80.2 billion fraud case filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
However, the EFCC’s legal advisor wondered why the former governor was still not present in court for trial after his lawyer promised the court at the last hearing that he would be given his dues.
Consequently, the EFCC, through its counsel, Mr. Kemi Pinhero, SAN, applied to the court to invite two senior lawyers representing the former governor to show cause why they should not be prosecuted for contempt.
Former governor Bello, in a letter he wrote through his team of lawyers led by Mr Abdulwahab Mohammed, SAN, stated that only the Lokoja Division high court has territorial jurisdiction to entertain the charges leveled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
At the hearing that resumed on Thursday, Bello did not appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja to enter his defense to the charges against him.
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But the lawyer who announced his presence, Mr Adeola Adedipe, SAN, drew Justice Emeka Nwite’s attention to the letter his client wrote to the CJ.
Speaking in court after the matter was called, Adedipe, SAN, said, “My Lord, after the last hearing was adjourned, I came back and gave a report of what happened in court to our team.
“However, I am advised that a letter has been written on behalf of the accused to the honorable Chief Judge of the Federal High Court requesting in substance, that this matter be administratively transferred to the Federal High Court, Lokoja Judicial Division, which we believe has territorial jurisdiction to handle this problem.
“The letter was received in the Chief Judge’s Chambers and the office of His Excellency the CJ wrote to the prosecution team through Mr Iseoluwa Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, on June 13, informing him that administrative measures had been activated, upon which he was directed to respond to the transfer request that matter.
“My Lord, until this morning I did not know whether there had been a response from the public prosecutor’s team in accordance with the CJ’s direction.
“We also do not accept any decision that has been made at the request of this CJ.”
Meanwhile, the EFCC, through its attorney, Mr Kemi Pinhero, SAN, urged the court to compel the defense to explain why the accused did not appear in court, even though he had promised on June 13 to ensure his presence in court. for indictment.
He prayed the court to dismiss “the defense attorney’s story as a dilation and a further attempt to treat this court with derision.”
The EFCC’s legal counsel argued that the letter to the Chief Justice did not fulfill the promises made by senior lawyers representing the accused.
Pinhero, SAN, further argued that even if a petition is filed against a judge at the National Judicial Council, NJC, it does not stop the proceedings of the case pending the judge’s decision.
Therefore, he applied to the court to invite two senior lawyers representing the former governor to show reasons why they should not be dealt with for contempt.
The post Yahaya Bello wants trial moved to Kogi, as EFCC wants lawyers punished for ex-government’s absence in court appeared first on Latest Nigerian News | Top News from Ripples Nigeria.
