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| Godwin Emefiele. |
A former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, on Tuesday urged an Abuja High Court to dismiss the case brought by the prosecution in his ongoing trial concerning alleged procurement fraud.
Emefiele is being tried before Justice Hamza Muazu in a suit initiated by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation under the case number CR/577/2023, involving an amended 20-count charge.
The federal government has accused Emefiele of criminal breach of trust, granting of corrupt advantages, forgery, conspiracy to obtain by false pretences, and obtaining money through false pretences during his tenure as CBN governor.
It is alleged that he exploited his role as CBN governor to award six separate contracts for the procurement of various vehicles to April 1616, a company in which one Sa’adatu Ramalan Yaro, a staff member of the CBN, is a director and shareholder, between 2018 and 2022, amounting to N1,210,600,000, among other claims.
Emefiele has, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
During the latest hearing of the matter, Emefiele’s legal representative, Mathew Burkaa, SAN, asked the court to strike out the case against his client.
He made the appeal based on the fact that the prosecution had failed to appear in court despite being aware of the adjourned date.
Burkaa informed the court that the day had been scheduled for the continuation of the hearing, yet the lead prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo SAN, was absent and did not send anyone in his stead.
He further noted that the court registrar had contacted him via WhatsApp on Monday, notifying him that a letter requesting adjournment had been submitted by the prosecution.
He said the document he was shown in court originated from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He pointed out that since the case was initiated by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, it was unclear why the EFCC was applying for an adjournment.
Objecting to the request for adjournment, he questioned why none of the lawyers working with Oyedepo could appear in court to continue the proceedings.
He also reminded the court that the prosecution had initially requested an expedited hearing of the matter.
He highlighted that both Emefiele and his legal team had travelled from Lagos to be present for the trial.
Burkaa therefore appealed to the court to bar the prosecution from further participation, noting that there was no formal application from the Attorney-General’s office seeking an adjournment.
After considering the arguments, Justice Muazu stated that the court would allow the prosecution one final chance.
He added that the court would take appropriate measures if the prosecution failed to appear on the next hearing date.
The judge subsequently adjourned the case until October 22 for the continuation of proceedings.
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