The 14th prosecution witness (PW14) in the ongoing trial of the immediate past governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, on Tuesday, told the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) that some suspects confessed to fraudulently withdrawing the sum of $6.23million from the CBN.
Emefiele is standing trial before Justice Hamza Muazu, sitting at Maitama, Abuja, on an amended 20-count charge, marked FCT/HC/CR/577/2023, bordering on criminal breach of trust, forgery, abuse of office, conspiracy to obtain by false pretence and obtaining money to the tune of $6,230,000 while serving as CBN governor.
The money was purportedly meant for international election observers for the 2023 general election.
The charge against the former CBN governor was filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) which further accused the defendant of conferring corrupt advantages on two companies, April 1616 Nigeria Ltd and Architekon Nigeria Ltd.
Emefiele, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against him by the anti-corruption commission, on behalf of the Federal Government.
At the resumed hearing in the case on Tuesday, the PW13, Eloho Edwin Okpoziakpo, the Commissioner of Police in charge of Special Fraud Unit, Lagos, told the court that he and three other police officers were deployed in assisting Mr Jim Obaze, who was appointed by President Bola Tinubu as the special investigator to investigate the CBN and other government business entities.
According to him, he assisted the special investigator in taking statements, interrogating persons who were complicit one way or the other and also provide intelligence to aid the special investigator’s work.
Led in his evidence-in-chief by the prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, CP Okpoziakpo informed the court that in the course of investigation, they got an intelligence on $6.23million that was fraudulent taken from the Abuja branch of CBN that had the defendant ‘s approval.
According to him, they investigated the intelligence and interrogated Emefiele.
He told the court that, “Investigation revealed that the money was fraudulently taken because some of the suspects, including Maishanu, that we investigated confessed.
“The Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation denied ever requesting for money for election observers, which was claimed the money was meant for. We wrote the the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and they responded.”
The witness told the court that the money was withdrawn using some documents, including a letter forwarding purported approval of the then President, late Muhammadu Buhari for the $6.23million to be paid.
Asked to identified some exhibits already tendered by the prosecution and admitted as exhibited by the court, the PW14 said Exhibit PD6 was a document asking for the release of the $6.23million directed to Emefiele, while Exhibit PD7 was the purported document giving the approval of the then President Buhari for the money, dated January 24, 2023.
The prosecution witness further told the court that the request to release the $6.23million was honoured, “it was treated and the money was paid.”
While further identifying the exhibits before the court, CP Okpoziakpo told the court that he personally recovered Exhibit PD1 – PD5 from the Abuja branch of CBN where the money was cashed.
According to him, PD1 gave details of the amount of money that was paid out in $100 bale on February 8, 2023, while PD2 was a memo from the CBN’s Director of Banking Services Department to the Abuja Branch Controller of the apex bank, giving approval to the branch controller to pay the sum of $6.23million.
Meanwhile, the trial Judge, Justice Muazu has adjourned the case till July 2, 2026 for continuation of trial.
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