A witness known as by the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee, Rabiu Tafada, shocked many in court docket on Tuesday when he mentioned he not felt nicely whereas giving his testimony.
The scenario pressured the choose to adjourn the case in order that the witness may maintain his well being.
Tafada, a foreign money change operator, is the third witness within the alleged N10 billion fraud cost towards Ali Bello, nephew of former Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, and others.
The EFCC had on December 15, 2022, charged Bello, a cousin of former Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello and Suleiman, with ten counts of alleged embezzlement and cash laundering.
The anti-graft company accused Bello, along with Hudu, a cashier on the Kogi State Authorities Home, who’s at giant, of withdrawing N10 billion from the state treasury for private use.
Through the proceedings on Tuesday, Tafada, who was led into proof by the prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), mentioned he was aware of the defendants however couldn’t recall the main points of the transactions they’d collectively.
Throughout interrogation, the prosecutor requested the witness if he remembered some EFCC operatives who got here to his workplace in 2023, to which he replied sure.
He was additional requested if he remembered some paperwork taken from his workplace, and the witness additionally mentioned sure.
Oyedepo then tried to tender into proof the paperwork recovered from his workplace, which was rejected by the defendants, stating that the notebooks contained unfastened sheets.
Counsel for the defendants, HE Abass and Nureini Jimoh (SAN), mentioned they might save their different causes for the ultimate speech.
When requested to substantiate what was within the books, the witness mentioned he couldn’t achieve this as a result of he was not the one that recorded the contents of the e-book.
He acknowledged that he couldn’t learn or write, including that his boys had recorded all the main points.
When requested a few man recognized as Sunny Benghazi and the N15 million in his identify, the witness mentioned he couldn’t bear in mind the transaction.
Tafada additionally informed the court docket that he didn’t know anybody named Abdulsalami Hudu or his driver.
Immediately, Tafada informed the court docket that he was not feeling nicely as a result of he had hypertension.
The choose, James Omotoso, requested a court docket official to offer him water, which he drank.
Omotosho then adjourned the case to February 13, 22 and 23 for continuation of the trial.
The choose requested the witness to take the chance of the suspension to maintain his well being and to familiarize himself with the transactions that he mentioned his boys had recorded for him within the proof introduced to him.