BY SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORKFEB 11, 2019

Dele Belgore, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has debunked the allegation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that he laundered the sum of N450million in 2015.

The EFCC is prosecuting him before the Federal High Court in Lagos for allegedly benefiting N450million from the sum of $115.01million, which Diezani Alison-Madueke, a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, allegedly doled out to influence the 2015 elections.

The EFCC said Belgore, alongside a former Minister of National Planning, Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, went to a branch of Fidelity Bank in Ilorin on March 26, 2015, to sign for and collect the N450million cash.

However, while testifying in his defence on Monday, Belgore admitted being invited by the bank manager on March 26, 2015, to take delivery of the N450million cash, but said he left the bank without the money.

The SAN, who said he was the Kwara State Coordinator of then President Goodluck Jonathan reelection campaign, said he did not collect the N450million because on getting to the bank, he realised that the money was too huge for his Toyota Prado jeep.

Belgore said: “I indicated to PW1 (bank manager) that I could not collect the money and I gave two reasons. First, I said this money was coming two days before the election; all the stakeholders and party members were aware of the arrival of the money and therefore, I did not consider it safe to move such a huge amount of money out of the bank in the middle of the night.

“The second reason was that I did not come prepared to receive and take away such a large amount of money, as I came only in my vehicle, a Toyota Prado jeep.

“As I said earlier, the heap of cash that I saw in the bank’s loading bay was at least three to four feet high. So, I told PW1 that if it took a bullion van to transport the cash from the Central Bank of Nigeria to Fidelity Bank, there was no way I would be able to evacuate those funds with my Toyota Prado.”

Belgore said following a long argument between him, Suleiman and the bank manager, the bank manager told them to sign for the money and agreed to keep the money in the bank’s vault.

“After signing the document, I left the bank without the money. I did not take a penny out of the bank; I left the bank empty-handed,” he said.

Justice Rilwan Aikawa adjourned further proceedings till February 28, 2019, at the instance of Ebun Shofunde (SAN), Belgore’s lawyer, who said he needed time to preview the CCTV footage of the events that took place within the banking hall on March 26, 2015, when Belgore and Suleiman visited.

In the charges against them, the EFCC insisted that Belgore and Suleiman received N450million from Diezani and laundered same.

The anti-graft agency said they ought to have “reasonably known” that the N450million was part of proceeds of unlawful activities, adding that they handled the money without going through any financial institution, contrary to the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.

The duo pleaded not guilty to the charges.

http://saharareporters.com/2019/02/11/i-couldnt-take-diezanis-n450m-because-it-was-too-huge-my-jeep-says-belgore#disqus_thread

One of our yam thieves under the lord of thieves himself Jonathan.



Despite Buhari administration earning 60% less yet he's come up with plenty projects such as

Our railways at itakpewarri, Lagos-ibadan, kaduna-abuja etc,

The production of low cost fertilizers,

Zik maoseleum

Baro inland port,

Rice mills,

Foreign reserve increase from #26b to #43b,

Construction of our express highways such as enuguonitsha, Lagos-ibadan etc.

Social policy schemes such as tradermoni, npower etc

And most especially, stabilizing us through this recession which happened because jonathan failed to save despite earning 60% more than Buhari coupled with the fall in the price of crude oil from #110 per barrel in 5 years under Jonathan to a paltry #50 per barrel under Buhari administration yet Buhari was able to keep us afloat while having many projects to his name thereby surprising Ngozi Iweala and Charles Soludo who predicted recession because jonathan failed to save during the time of plentiful.

Sai Baba. PDP, Neva again

Okay

See this APC goat.

It was looting galore for the previous PDP government!

Imagine what the money would have done for social infrastructure, education and economic empowerment.

Sadly, the present government may not be different. Theirs, will also be exposed when they are out of power.

Forget it, Nigeria is gone!!!

Our mumu don do for this country
God teleport me go Shanghai

And people still want to vote pdp in 450m

This is funny �

When the mentions mullion and I check my account balance. To cry dey always hungry me.

In patience's voice.

This thing will end today

Where are the atikulooting crew,you will not see them on the post that has to do with corruption
Never again PDP in this Nation

Pigidiotic Looterattis will be silent over this.

The same way they will be silenced on Saturday

The way Jonathan wasted the country future savings, only God can forgive him.

Shame on u. End time thief.

Curse be unto you n your family

even though I'm pro pdp, let justice prevail regardless of party politics
It doesn't matter what party or candidate we stand for.
Let's be two money launderers down as a nation.

Simply poverty of mind.

our money eh.

lie l.ie lies

PDP.

How much did they pay for this idiot to come out and say trash.

You couldn't take #450m cos it was too heavy for your jeep, say that to the gods.

450 million naira JUST LIKE THAT!!!!
And people want to take us back to that PDP? No wonder there is so much complaints. If that 450 Million had been shared, there would have been a false believe that everything was OK. Its like a Blitzkrieg of false economic prospects we have always had in Nigeria.

The last government really wasted money a lot but then that doesn't give this clueless present administration to put the country into this big mess we are right now, i mean they were looting all those cash and it wasn't as bad as this so now that looting has allegedly be put to death why is the country so bad