The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has reportedly picked a new date for the arraignment of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello.
The anti-graft agency fixed June 27 for a hearing in the alleged money laundering case instituted by EFCC against Bello at the instance of the anti-graft agency’s lawyers.
According to Daily Post, the new date was fixed without prior information from the defendant’s lawyers.
At the resumed hearing on Thursday, counsel to Bello, Adeola Adedipe, SAN, told the court that the EFCC lawyers approached Aliyu AbdulWahab, SAN, who is the counsel for the defendant, that the earlier date, June 13 date, would not be convenient for them to proceed and that Wahab had to agree by way of convenience for another date to be set.
He said he was surprised when he heard that EFCC lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo was in court.
He said, “They (EFCC) agreed that junior counsel would be sent to court today to formally pick a date. And the registry can confirm this. Kemi Pinhero, SAN, the lead counsel, has been calling us to say today is not convenient.”
However, for the decision of the EFCC to seek an adjournment to a future date for his arraignment, Bello was said to be ready to appear in court on Thursday.
Adedipe added, “Under 266 ACJA there are instances when defendants don’t need to come and this is one of them.
“We came here to pick a date. Of what use will the defendant coming here be? It is the prosecuting counsel that approached us, we did not approach them. We have nothing to hide.”
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