An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) witness, Okpoziakpo Eloho, on Thursday told the High Court sitting in Abuja that the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, did not benefit from the $6.2 million fraud.
The EFCC charged Emefiele with criminal breach of trust, forgery, abuse of office, conspiracy to obtain by false pretence and obtaining money by false pretence while serving as CBN Governor.
The EFCC accused Emefiele of conferring corrupt advantages on two companies – April 1616 Nigeria Limited and Architekon Nigeria Limited.
The former CBN boss, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Speaking during cross-examination by Emefiele’s lawyer, Mathew Burka (SAN), Eloho, who is the 14th prosecution witness, said Emefiele, in the statement he made, denied ever giving approval and authorisation for the release of the money to anybody.
Eloho, who led the police investigation of the former CBN boss, added that the defendant also denied receiving any letter from the then Secretary of the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, or acted on any such letter.
Answering a question, Eloho admitted that one Jibril Abubakar appeared before his probe panel during investigation and admitted collecting the $6.2 million from the Abuja branch of the CBN.
The witness told the court that none of those interviewed or investigated in respect of the money told the investigators that Emefiele benefitted in one way or the other.
He stated that although Abubakar claimed to be a staff in the office of the SGF, investigation later revealed that he was never an employee in the office.
Eloho added that despite the confession of Abubakar that he collected the money from the CBN, he (witness) was not aware if Abubakar was tried in any court.
Eloho further stated that one Bashirudeen Maishanu, a staff of the CBN, was also interrogated and confessed to stealing the money.
When shown series of exhibits especially correspondences exchanged during the processing, approval and release of the funds, the witness admitted that protocol was breached.
Emefiele challenges EFCC statements in $4.5bn fraud trial
He said going by the hierarchy of the management of the apex bank, normal circumstances correspondence from CBN governor ought to go to the deputy governor and from there downwards.
On the statement made by former SGF to the investigators, Eloho told the court that it was the special investigator, Jim Obaze, who took the statement, adding that he was present when the Mustapha claimed his signature was forged.
On the forensic examination carried out by EFCC on the signature of the former SGF to verify the alleged forgery, Eloho said: “It would have been desirous to carry out similar forensic examination on Emefiele’s signature the way it was done to Boss Mustapha.”
There was an objection raised by Burka when the EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), asked for some exhibits which was not part of the ones for the $6.2 million fraud during his re-examination.
Burka told the court that Section 215(3) of the Evidence Act forbids such and that the witness is testifying on the said $6.2 million and not the entire suit.
The presiding judge, Justice Hamza Muazu, held that there was no ambiguity on the document the witness spoke to.
The judge held that he does not want the witness to continue his investigation in open court.
Justice Muazu thereafter adjourned until Friday, July 3, for the continuation of trial.
