Alleged procurement fraud: EMEFIELE FACES RE-ARRAIGNMENT
...EFCC files 20 amended charges against him
Suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele is to be rearranged on Friday in an FCT High Court as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed an amended 20-count charge against him.
The EFCC dragged Emefiele to court earlier on six counts bordering on alleged breach of procurement procedure in the award of the contract to April 1616 Investment Limited.
The anti-graft agency had in August 2023, charged Emefiele and Sa’adatu Yaro and a company, April 1616 Investment Limited with breach of the Procurement Act in respect of the purchase of some vehicles.
EFCC’s lawyer, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, on November 28 drew the attention of the court to an amended charge dated November 8, 2023.
In that charge, Emefiele was the sole defendant and the charges were reduced from 20 to six, to which Emefiele pleaded not guilty.
Justice Hamza Muazu on November 22, 2023, granted him bail in the sum of N300 million.
Muazu, in addition, ordered for two sureties in the like sum of N300 million who must have property in the Maitama district of Abuja.
The sureties must in addition present the title documents and certificates of occupancy (C of O) to the court for verification.
The judge further added that Emefiele should submit to the registrar of the court his travelling documents and must be within Abuja within the period of his trial.
However, when the case came up on Thursday, Oyedepo told the court that they had filed another amended charge of 20 counts against Emefiele.
He said they filed the charge on Wednesday.
Responding, the defendant‘s counsel, Matthew Burkaa, SAN, told the court that he needed time to study the new charge sheet.
Subsequently, Justice Muazu adjourned the case until Friday for rearrangement.
