From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The Federal High Court , Abuja ,has varied some of the conditions attached to the N2 billion bail earlier granted the detained National President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Alhaji Bello Bodejo.
Bodejo is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly laundering $2.63 million.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, before whom Bodejo was arraigned, had granted him bail on July 20 in the sum of N2 billion, with two sureties in like sum.
Justice Ekwo ordered that one of the sureties must present evidence of three-year tax clearance and reside within the court’s jurisdiction, while the second must own landed property worth N2 billion in Abuja.
However, in a ruling yesterday, Justice Salim Ibrahim, sitting as a vacation judge, granted Bodejo’s application to vary some of the bail terms.
Justice Ibrahim reduced the bail sum from N2 billion to N1 billion, with two sureties, one of whom must own landed property worth N1 billion in either Guzape, Asokoro or Maitama, Abuja.
The judge added that the sureties must also provide the court with photocopies of their driver’s licence, National Identification Number (NIN), or international passport.
He then ordered that the case file be returned to Justice Ekwo’s court for continuation of the substantive hearing.
Bodejo was arraigned on July 9 on a six-count charge, to which he pleaded not guilty.
In count one, he is alleged to have, on or about January 11, 2022, in Abuja, without lawful authority, accepted a cash payment of $100,000 from Sa’idu Abubakar, a former Accountant-General of Bauchi State, who is currently in the custody of the Nigerian Police Force.
The EFCC said the sum exceeded the statutory cash transaction threshold of N5 million prescribed under Section 1(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended), and was not routed through a financial institution as required by law an offence contrary to Section 16(1)(d) and punishable under Section 16(2)(b) of the same Act.
In count two, Bodejo is alleged to have, on or about January 21, 2022, in Abuja, accepted a further $200,000 cash payment from Abubakar, again exceeding the statutory threshold.
In count three, he is accused of accepting another $100,000 from Abubakar on or about October 26, 2022, in Abuja, without lawful authority.
In count four, he is alleged to have accepted $980,000 from Abubakar on or about February 7, 2024, in Abuja.
In count five, he is accused of accepting $750,000 from Abubakar on or about March 3, 2024, in Abuja.
In count six, he is alleged to have accepted $500,000 from Abubakar on or about March 20, 2024, in Abuja.
For counts four to six, the EFCC said the sums exceeded the statutory cash transaction threshold of N5 million prescribed under Section 2(1)(a) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, without the transactions being routed through a financial institution as required by law — offences contrary to Section 19(1)(d) and punishable under Section 19(2)(b) of the same Act.
The post Money laundering: Court varies bail terms granted Miyetti Allah leader, Bodejo appeared first on The Sun Nigeria.
<small>Source: The Sun Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
