SaharaReporters reported on Thursday that President Bola Tinubu’s Nigerian government had thrown the embattled former CBN governor into more trouble as the government filed an amended 20-count charge against him at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
Former Governor of the Central Bank (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has pleaded not guilty to the 20-count amended charge the federal government brought against him before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
SaharaReporters reported on Thursday that President Bola Tinubu’s Nigerian government had thrown the embattled former CBN governor into more trouble as the government filed an amended 20-count charge against him at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The trial judge, Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court granted him leave on Thursday to travel out of the FCT, but not the country.
He has also met his N300 million bail condition.
A court document obtained by SaharaReporters showed that the fresh charges filed by counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), include forgery, conferring of corrupt advantage and criminal breach of trust.
After suspending the former CBN governor, President Tinubu’s government filed 19 charges against him bordering on procurement fraud.
This came two months after his initial arraignment on six counts regarding alleged procurement irregularities in awarding a contract to April 1616 Investment Limited.
Mathew Burkaa is the lawyer defending the embattled former CBN governor.
After the 20 counts were read to Emefiele on Friday, he pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Justice Muazu granted his lawyer’s plea for Emefiele to continue to enjoy bail which the prosecution team did not object to.
Oyedepo, who informed the court of the amended charges on Thursday, said Count 1 borders on “Conferring corrupt advantage contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.”
The particulars of offence are that: “You, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in 2019 did use your position as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’aclatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarding a contract for the supply of 37 (Nos.) Toyota Hilux Vehicles at the cost of N854,700,000 only to April 1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro is a Director and you thereby committed an offence.”
Count 2 bordered on “Conferring corrupt advantage contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.”
The offence particulars are “That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, sometime in 2019 did use your position as Governor of the CBN to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff of the CBN by awarding a contract for the supply of 1 (No.) Toyota Avalon at the cost of N99,900,000 only to April 1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro is a Director and thereby committed an offence.”
Count 3 bordered on “Conferring corrupt advantage contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.”
Particulars of offence stated “That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, sometime in 2019 did use your position as Governor of the CBN to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff of the CBN by awarding a contract for the supply of 1 (No.) Toyota Landcruiser V8 at the cost of Seventy-three billion and eight hundred Thousand Naira (N73,800,000.00) only to April 1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro is a Director and you thereby committed an offence.”
SAHARA REPORTERS
