Court Orders Emefiele To Be Remanded In Kuje Prison Over N1.6billion Fraud
POLITICS DIGEST – Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, has ordered the immediate past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele, to be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre.
The Nigerian government brought Emefiele before the FCT High Court on a six-count charge bordering on alleged N1.6 billion procurement fraud.
The original charge of 20 counts for N6.5billion has been lowered to six charges for N1.6 billion. The new charge simply names Emefiele as a defendant.
It was learnt that the former CBN governor appeared in court for a bail application on Friday, pleading not guilty to the six-count indictment after it was read to him.
Emefiele arrived barely in time for the day’s proceedings to begin.
The charges still border on procurement fraud, according to the updated charge sheet.
According to Channels TV, in the amended charge sheet, the Nigerian government alleged that Emefiele illegally bought 43 vehicles between 2018 and 2020 worth N1.2 billion.
He was accused of awarding a contract for the procurement of 37 Toyota Hilux Vehicles valued at N854 million.
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Count one read, “That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in 2018 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did use your position as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Ramallan 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 only to April1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro is a director and thereby committed an offence.”
In the second count, Emefiele was accused of using his position to corruptly confer an advantage on 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 only to April1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro Director and thereby committed an offence.”
He was also accused of conferring corrupt advantage contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 by awarding a contract for the supply of one Toyota Landcruiser V8 April1616 Investment Ltd., in 2019 at the cost of N73 million.
The fourth count was about a Toyota Landcruiser V8 valued N73,800,000 awarded illegally to April 1616 Investment Ltd.
The Nigerian government further accused the former CBN governor of also awarding a contract to Yaro for the supply of two Toyota Hilux Shell Specification Vehicles at the cost of N44,200,000 in 2020.
The trial judge, Justice Hamza Muazu adjourned the case to November 22 to rule on Emefiele’s bail application and November 28 to begin the trial.
In the meanwhile, he ordered Emefiele to be held at the Kuje Correctional Centre.
