EFCC declares Emefiele’s wife, three others wanted for money laundering
The immediate past Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele, yesterday pleaded not guilty to the amended 20-count charge of criminal breach of trust, forgery, conspiracy to obtain by false pretense and obtaining money by false pretense preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court which is trying him granted the plea of Emefiele’s legal team to be allowed to continue to enjoy the bail conditions earlier granted him by the court.
Justice Hamza Muazu fixed commencement of proceedings in the trial for February 12.
The former CBN governor was initially arraigned on November 17, 2023, on a six-count charge, of leveraging his position to bestow corrupt advantages upon a staff member, Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro.
He was granted bail on the sum of N300m and two sureties in like sum on November 22, 2023.
He was, however, re-arraigned last Thursday under the amended charges.
His legal team requested an adjournment to enable them study the new charges.
Soon after the amended charges were read yesterday, Emefiele’s lead counsel, Mathew Burkaa (SAN), citing Section 221 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act that ‘Objections shall not be taken during the proceeding or trial on the ground of imperfect or erroneous charge’, objected to Count One based on its franking (framing of the charge).
He told the court that although he had no issue with the original charge, he was worried by the construction of the revised version.
Count One on the charge sheet 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 (Nos.) Toyota Hilux Vehicles at the cost of Eight Hundred and Fifty-Four Million, Seven Hundred Thousand Naira (N854,700,000.00) only to April 1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro is a Director and you thereby committed an offense.”
The prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), countered, saying the objection was improper at the stage of taking the plea.
Citing previous court pronouncements on the issue, Oyedepo said, “The stage is not set yet to take objections on the validity or otherwise of the charge, the defense must wait. After the plea has been taken, the defense may raise objections on the validity or otherwise of the charge. The objection is premature and should not be entertained now”.
Justice Muazu said Section 396 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act was clear on the subject and told the counsel that the objection was noted but not enough to stop proceeding.
Section 396. (1) reads: “The defendant to be tried on an information or charge shall be arraigned in accordance with the provisions of this Act relating to the taking of pleas and the procedure on it.
‘(2) After the plea has been taken, the defendant may raise any objection to the validity of the charge or the information at any time before judgment provided that such objection shall only be considered along with the substantive issues and a ruling thereon made at the time of delivery of judgment.”
Muazu asked Burkaa to properly file the objection if he wished to continue with it.
The reading of the charges continued and Emefiele pleaded not guilty to each charge brought against him by the anti-graft agency.
Thereafter, the defence counsel enjoined the court to allow the ex-CBN governor to continue to enjoy the conditions of the bail earlier granted him by the court.
The EFCC counsel raised no objections to the plea on bail conditions, saying they (prosecutors) needed the accused person to be healthy to attend trial.
Justice Muazu then adjourned the trial to February 12 and 13, 2024 while granting the plea on the condition of the bail.
The amended 20-count charges dated 17th January 2024 are:
*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 (Nos.) Toyota Hilux Vehicles at the cost of Eight Hundred and Fifty-Four Million, Seven Hundred Thousand Naira (N854,700,000.00) only to April 1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro is a Director and you thereby committed an offence
*That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in 2019 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 1 (No.) Toyota Avalon at the cost of Ninety-Nine Million, Nine Hundred Thousand Naira (N99,900,000.00) only to April 1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro is a Director and thereby committed an offence.
*That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in 2019 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 1 (No.) Toyota Landcruiser V8 at the cost of Seventy-three Million and eight hundred Thousand Naira (N73,800,000.00) only to April 1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro is a Director and you thereby committed an offence.
*That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in 2020 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 2 (Nos.) Toyota Hilux Shell Specification Vehicles at the cost of Forty-Four Million Two hundred thousand Naira (N44,200,000.00) only to April 1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro is a Director and you thereby committed an offence.
*That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in 2020 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 1 (Nos.) Toyota Land Cruiser VXR V8 (CONTRACT NO: PO026821) at the cost of Sixty Nine Million Naira (N69,000,000.00) only to April 1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro is a Director and you thereby committed an offence.
*That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in 2020 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 1 (Nos.) Toyota Land Cruiser VXR V8 at the cost of Sixty Nine Million Naira (N69,000,000.00) only (CONTRACT NO: PO26822) to April 1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro is a Director and you thereby committed an offense.
*That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in December, 2014 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did use your position as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to confer a corrupt advantage on your wife, Omoile Margret, and brother-in-law Omoile Macombo by awarding a contract for the total renovation of the CBN Governor’s Residence lying, being and situate at No. 2 Glover Road, Ikoyi, Lagos in the sum of Eighty Two Million, Eighty-Six Thousand, One Hundred and Twenty-Nine Naira, Thirty Kobo (N 82,086,129.30) to Messrs. Architekon Nigeria Limited, a company wherein the duo are directors and majority shareholders and you thereby committed an offence.
*That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in December 2014 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did use your position as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to confer a corrupt advantage on Messrs. Architekon Nigeria Limited, an incorporated company known to act subject to your influence by awarding in favor of the said company, a contract for the total renovation of the CBN Governor’s Residence lying, being and situate at No. 2 Glover Road, Ikoyi, Lagos in the sum of Eighty Two Million, Eighty-Six Thousand, One Hundred and Twenty- Nine Naira, Thirty Kobo (N 82,086,129.30) and you thereby committed an offence.
*That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in March, 2020 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did use your position as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to confer a corrupt advantage on Messrs. Architekon Nigeria Limited, an incorporated company known to act subject to your influence by awarding in favor of the said company, a contract for the external renovation of the CBN Governor’s Residence lying, being and situate at No. 2 Glover Road, Ikoyi, Lagos in the sum of Ninety Nine Million, Eighty and Twenty-Six Thousand, Four hundred and Fifty-Two, Naira, Forty-Seven Kobo (N 99,826,452.47) and you thereby committed an offence.
*That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in March, 2020 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did use your position as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to confer a corrupt advantage on your wife, Omoile Margret, and brother in-law Omoile Macombo by awarding a contract for the external renovation of the CBN Governor’s Residence lying, being and situate at No. 2 Glover Road, Ikoyi, Lagos in the sum of Ninety Nine Million, Eighty and Twenty Six Thousand, Four hundred and Fifty Two, Naira, Forty Seven Kobo (N 99,826,452.47) to Messrs. Architekon Nigeria Limited, a company wherein the duo are directors and majority shareholders and you thereby committed an offence.
*That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in April, 2019 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did use your position as Governor, of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to confer a corrupt advantage on Messrs. Architekon Nigeria Limited, an incorporated company known to act subject to your influence, by approving the payment of the total sum of Ninety Seven Million, Nine Hundred and Ninety Eight Thousand, Four Hundred and Sixteen Naira, Thirty Eight Kobo (N97,998,416.38) in favour of the said company for the supply of office Furniture to Central Bank of Nigeria and you thereby committed an offence.
*That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in April, 2019 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did use your position as Governor, of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to confer a corrupt advantage on your wife, Omoile Margret, and brother in-law Omoile Macombo by approving the payment of the total sum of Ninety Seven Million, Nine Hundred and Ninety Eight Thousand, Four Hundred and Sixteen Naira, Thirty Eight Kobo (N97,998,416.38) in favour of Messrs. Architekon Nigeria Limited, a company wherein the duo are directors and majority shareholders for the supply of office Furniture to Central Bank of Nigeria and you thereby committed an offence.
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