A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ahmed Raji has asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to admit to bail, Ali Bello and 3 others standing trial in an alleged N3 billion fraud charge brought against them by the Federal Government.

Raji on Tuesday told the court that the offences brought against his clients are ordinarily bailable in the eyes of the law.

In a bail application he argued before Justice Obiora Egwuatu, the Senior lawyer submitted that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC has been investigating the defendants in the past year without any hindrance from his clients.

He said the anti-graft agency on its own admitted them to administrative bail before bringing them to court adding that throughout the period of the administrative bail, they did not do anything untoward.

Raji argued that EFCC granted one of the defendants permission to travel to Saudi Arabia, adding that he kept faith by returning to Nigeria and surrendering his travelling passport to the EFCC.

He dismissed the allegations by EFCC that defendants are a flight risk and would tamper with witnesses if granted bail, adding that apart from being mere allegations, the anti-graft agency did not support the claim with any shred of evidence.

Raji submitted that bail is at the discretion of the court to favour or not favour the defendants.

Opposing the bail request, Counsel to the EFCC, Mr Mohammed Husseini, vehemently opposed the request, claiming that if admitted to bail the defendants will tamper with evidence as well as interfere with witnesses.

He also argued that the defendants are likely to jump bail and not make themselves available for trial.

Husseini accordingly urged the court to deny the defendant’s bail.

In a short ruling, Justice Obiora Egwuatu announced that a ruling on the bail applications would be delivered on Monday, February 20, 2023.

Ali, a nephew of Kogi State Governor was on February 8, 2023, arraigned alongside Abba Adauda, Yakubu Siyaka Adabenege and Iyadai Sadat, on an 18-count criminal charge before Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Following their not-guilty plea, Justice Egwuatu, adjourned till February 13 for hearing in their bail application while ordering for their remand at the correctional centre.

The defendants were in count one charged with procuring, “E- Traders International Limited to retain the aggregate sum of N3,081,804,654.00 which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful activity to wit: criminal misappropriation, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to sections 18(a), 15(20)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.

They were also charged with procuring, “E-Traders International Limited to transfer the aggregate sum of $570,330 to account number no; 426-6644272 domiciled in TD Bank, United States of America, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful activity to with: criminal misappropriation, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act”.