Wednesday made the eighth court session Mr Bello has been snubbed since then.
His defense team cited the appeals the former governor recently filed at the Supreme Court as the reason for his absence from the previous proceedings on 25 September.
Urging the trial judge, Emeka Nwite, to order his trial in absentia, EFCC’s prosecuting lawyer, Kemi Pinheiro, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), argued that the former governor’s non-appearance for arraignment should not be allowed to frustrate his trial.
According to an EFCC press statement shared with PREMIUM IMES, Mr Pinheiroalso urged the court to enter a plea of “not guilty” on behalf of Mr Bello to kickstart the trial.
He said under Section 276 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, a defendant’s physical presence in court is not an absolute requirement for arraignment. “The right to plead guilty or not guilty is a right that can be waived by the defendant,” adding that Mr Bello’s absence should not impede the case.