Alleged N80.2Billion Fraud: Court Recommends Yahaya Bello’s Lawyers For Sanctions Over ‘Professional Misconduct’
The lawyers, Abdulwahab Mohammed, SAN and Adeola Adedipe, SAN, were accused of reneging on their undertakings to produce the former governor for arraignment.
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has asked the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) to lawyers representing former Kogi governor Yahaya Bello for professional misconduct.
The lawyers, Abdulwahab Mohammed, SAN and Adeola Adedipe, SAN, were accused of reneging on their undertakings to produce the former governor for arraignment.
Justice Nwite affirmed that the two senior lawyers failed to bring their client for arraignment against their assurances and undertakings before the court.
“Ordinarily, I would have taken this matter head-on, but I would prefer to refer the matter to the Legal Practitioner’s Disciplinary Committee to propose necessary recommendation and necessary sanctions against the counsels,” he said.
The court on June 27, 2024 slated Wednesday for ruling on an application by the EFCC’s lead counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, praying the court to hold Mohammed and Adedipe for contempt of court.
At the resumed session of the court on Wednesday, Mohammed tried frantically to persuade the court to allow a stay of proceedings, arguing that appeals have been entered at the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division.
Both prosecution and defence counsels held the court in fiery arguments over the ruling.
He cited several authorities to establish the fact that since the matter brought before the appellate court had not been determined, the trial court should not halt proceedings on the matter before it.
Meanwhile, Abdulwahab said he would try to bring Bello to court on the next adjourned date, though without taking any undertaking to that effect.
Justice Nwite thereafter adjourned the matter till September 25, 2024 for arraignment.
Bello is facing prosecution alongside his nephew, Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu on 19-count charges bordering on money laundering to the tune of N80,246,470,089.88k (Eighty Billion, Two Hundred and Forty-Six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand, Eighty-Nine Naira and Eighty-eight kobo).
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