Emefiele in court over 6 counts of alleged N1.6bn fraud, to remain in Kuje Prison till next week
Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, was in court in Abuja on Friday to answer to a six-count charge that borders on procurement fraud. But he is on his way to Kuje Prison to cool off for five days until his bail hearing.
Moments prison warders whisked Emefiele away to Kuje pic.twitter.com/wY9rWGkvwt
— Oyibo of Abuja (@oyiboediri) November 17, 2023
Emefiele came to court with a request for bail, which the court said would be heard next Wednesday.
Among others, the alleged procurement fraud put at N1.6 billion was committed with a CBN staff, Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, who supplied Vehicles on a contract basis.
The original charge, which was 20 counts to the tune of N6.5 billion, was reduced to six, to the tune N1.6 billion.
The former CBN governor pleaded not guilty to the six-count charge after it was read to him.
In the amended charge sheet, the federal 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.
Count one reads, “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 N73m.
The fourth count was about a Toyota Landcruiser V8 valued N73,800,000 awarded illegally to April 1616 Investment Ltd.
The federal 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.