‘Kogi IRS paid consultant N1.1bn in 8 months under Yahaya Bello’ – Witness

A witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has told an Abuja court that the Kogi State Board of Internal Revenue (KSIRS) paid over  N1.1 billion as commission to a tax consultant, Bespoke Business Solutions Limited, within eight months in 2019.

The witness, David Ajoma, disclosed this while testifying in the trial of a former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, and two others. 

He said the payments were made between January and August 2019.

Bello is standing trial before Justice Maryanne Anenih alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalam Hudu on charges filed by the EFCC.

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The defendants, accused of criminal breach of trust involving N110,446,470,089. Bello and his co-defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Ajoma tendered bank statements of Bespoke Business Solutions Limited, which showed several credit transactions from the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service in 2019.

He told the court that the consultant withdrew N952.4 million from its Sterling Bank account within the same eight-month period, leaving a balance of ₦212,525,569.

Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, the witness said he did not know the details of the business relationship between the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service and the consultant.

Ajoma added that before the engagement, the consultant’s account balance was slightly above N2 million, but increased after the consultancy began.

Under cross-examination by Joseph Daudu, SAN, counsel to Bello and Umar Shuaibu Oricha, the witness admitted that the name “Kogi State Government” did not appear in the bank transactions.

He confirmed that the account belonged to the consultant and that withdrawals could be made in line with the law.

The witness said Central Bank of Nigeria regulations allow maximum cash withdrawals of N5 million for individuals and N10 million for corporate entities per transaction, adding that the consultant did not breach these limits.

He also confirmed that no suspicious transaction report was filed and that Bello and his co-defendants were not beneficiaries of the withdrawals.

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Ajoma further stated that the Kogi State Government and the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service are separate entities.

Justice Maryanne Anenih later adjourned the trial until February 10.