The Federal High Court in Abuja has postponed its ruling on the admissibility of a judgment from the Federal Capital Territory High Court in the case involving Ali Bello and the Incorporated Trustees of the American International School.

The ruling is now scheduled for May 8.

This decision came after Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, representing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, completed his examination of Nicholas Ojehomon, the third prosecution witness and an auditor with the American International School, Abuja.

Following the examination, Joseph Daudu, SAN, the defense counsel, sought to present a document before proceeding with cross-examination.

The document relates to the payment or refund of school fees and is tied to the ongoing fraud trial of Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi State, who faces charges of N80.2 billion fraud brought against him by the EFCC.

Earlier in the trial, Ojehomon testified that Ali Bello had contacted the school offering to cover the fees for Yahaya Bello’s children until their graduation, a proposal the school accepted.

He stated that Bello had paid fees for four of his children, enrolled in grades 8, 6, 4, and 2, and also paid for the future fees of children not yet enrolled.

On Friday, as the trial resumed, Daudu sought to tender receipts confirming the recertification of the documents related to the payments.

READ ALSO : Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s N80.2bn fraud trial

Pinheiro objected, arguing that the prosecution had not yet concluded its case and citing Section 232 of the Evidence Act. Daudu, however, contended that the document was relevant and should be admitted, referring to Sections 4, 5, and 6 of the Evidence Act, 2011, and asserting that once a document’s relevance is established, it is automatically admissible.

Ojehomon, meanwhile, confirmed multiple payments made for the children’s school fees from various company accounts.

He identified a bank telex from Forza Oil and Gas confirming a transfer on behalf of Bello’s children, along with additional documents from other companies such as Whales Oil and Gas, Aleshua Solution Services, Uliati General Training LLC, and Dada Rand Merchant Limited, all of which made payments to the school.

During cross-examination, the EFCC counsel asked Ojehomon to specify the names on the payment receipts, to which he confirmed they were issued in the names of Bello’s children.

Daudu objected, requesting that the witness read the names directly from the receipts instead of inferring them.

The trial was adjourned as the judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, decided to rule on the admissibility of the FCT High Court judgment related to the payment of school fees. The ruling is set for May 8 and 9.

Crediblenewsng.com