A prosecution witness, Olomotane Egoro, told a Federal High Court, Abuja Division, that the transactions linked to the Kogi State Government House account complied with Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) regulations and no banking rules were breached.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged a former governor of the state, Yahaya Bello, Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalam Hudu with 16 counts of breach of trust.
They were alleged to have committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the sum of N110,446,470,089, among others.
Mr Bello and his co-defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Mr Egoro, a compliance officer with Access Bank Plc being cross-examined by Mr Bello’s Counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN, said that there was no Post No Debit (PND) instruction against the account being tendered as evidence.
He noted that the names of the first defendant, Bello Oricha, did not appear on any of the records of transactions.
He confirmed that the first entry in the 14th column of Exhibit A(p) reflected an inflow of ₦20 million for the supply of educational materials.
The witness said he would not know whether one Siyaka Yakubu whom the prosecution drew his attention to, during his examination-in-chief, was a signatory to the account or not.
Asked to say what the transfers on August 10, 2022, between Fazab Business Enterprise and Abba Adaudu; and September 13, 2022, between Fazab and Ejadams Essence Limited, were meant for, he said he didn’t know.
“You do not also know the nature of the business relationship between Abba Adaudu and Fazab Business Enterprise?” the defence counsel asked.
“No, my Lord,” the witness responded.
He was then referred to Exhibit A(r), which he confirmed as the account opening package for E‑Traders International Limited, from January 1, 2018, to Dec. 21, 2022.
He confirmed that the account was opened at the Mararaba branch of Access Bank but admitted that he could not say whether one Jamilu Abdullahi was a signatory or not.
The witness, noted that there was no court order restricting operations on the particular account before him but that a Suspicious Transaction Report (STR) was made.
He, however, admitted that the STR was merely a suspicion that required further investigation.
The trial judge, Justice Maryann Anenih adjourned until Wednesday, for continuation of cross-examination and trial.
Earlier, the witness confirmed that one Aminu Jimoh Olanrewaju, who was earlier said to have made withdrawals from the Kogi State Government House Administration Account was one of the signatories to the account.
He added that on cross-examination from the details in the account opening package, Mr Olanrewaju was a civil servant and director accounts.
The witness said, being an Access Bank official, he was not privy to the workings of the Kogi State Government House Account.
He added that he could not state what the withdrawn funds were meant for except for those that were detailed in the transactions.
(NAN)
