The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arraigned former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on charges bordering on procurement fraud.
Although, he pleaded not guilty to the six-count charge against him, trial judge, Justice Hamza Muazu, ordered his remand in the Kuje Correctional Center, Abuja, pending his ruling on Emefiele’s bail application.
The former CBN boss was released last week after spending 151 days in custody, following the order of Justice Olukayode Adeniyi of the same High Court of the FCT.
However, shortly after his arraignment yesterday, the court adjourned till November 22, to determine the bail application, just as it fixed November 28, for the commencement of trial.
The anti-graft agency had in August, charged Emefiele and one Mrs Sa’adatu Yaro and a company, April 1616 Investment Limited, purported to belong to Mrs Yaro, on alleged breach of the procurement Act in respect of the purchase of some vehicles but the arraignment could not go on because of the reported ill health of Mrs Yaro.
However, when the matter was called yesterday, EFCC’s lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, drew the attention of the court to an amended charge dated November 8, 2023.
In the new charge Emefiele was the sole defendant and the charge reduced from 20 to six, to which the former CBN boss pleaded not guilty.
In count one, he was alleged to have used his position as governor of CBN to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Ramailan Yaro, a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarding a contract for the supply of 37 Toyota Hilux Vehicles at the cost of “N854,700,000.00 only” to April1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Mrs Yaro is a Director and thereby committed an offence.
In count two, he was alleged to have used his position as Governor of the CBN, sometime in 2019, to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Ramailan Yaro, a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarding a contract for the supply of one Toyota Avalon at the cost of N99,900,000 to April1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Yero is a Director “and thereby committed an offence, contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act 2000.”
In count three, he was alleged to have used his position as Governor of the CBN, sometime in 2019, to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa‘adatu Ramailian Yaro, a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarding a contract for the supply of one Toyota Landcruiser V8 at the cost of N73, 800, 000 to April 1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramailan Yaro is a director and thereby committed an offence.
In count four, he was alleged to have used his position as Governor of the CBN, sometime in 2020, to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Ramailan Yaro, a staff of the CBN by awarding a contract for the supply of two Toyota Hilux Shell Specification Vehicles at the cost of N44,200,000 to April1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramailan Yaro is a director and thereby committed an offence.
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