FG reduces N6.9bn fraud charges against Emefiele

The Federal Government has reduced the fraud charges filed against the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele.

The 20-count charge bordering on procurement fraud to the tune of N6.9 billion, conferment of advantage and conspiracy, was reduced to six by the government.

This was disclosed in the amended charge sheet marked CR/577/2023, a copy of which was obtained on Wednesday, November 15, 2023.

Emefiele was charged alongside two others, Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro and a company, April1616 Investment Limited.

Their arraignment before the FCT High Court was stalled on two occasions, as the Department of State Services (DSS) failed to produce Emefiele in court.

Following his release by the DSS and immediate re-arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on October 27, the federal government amended the charges against him.

However, the federal government, in the amended charge sheet, also reduced the alleged procurement fraud against Emefiele from N6.9 billion to N1.2 billion.

Emefiele is the only defendant in the new charge.

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In the amended charge sheet, the government alleged that Emefiele illegally bought 43 vehicles between 2018 and 2020 worth N1.2 billion.

The former CBN boss was accused of giving a corrupt advantage to Yaro by awarding a contract for the procurement of 37 Toyota Hilux Vehicles valued at N854 million.

Count one read: “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 Toyota Hilux Vehicles at the cost of N854,700,000 only to April1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro is a director and thereby committed an offence.”

In the second count, Emefiele was accused of using his position to corruptly confer an advantage on Yaro, “a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarding a contract for the supply of one Toyota Avalon at the cost of N99,900,000 only to April1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro Director and thereby committed an offence.”

The government also accused Emefiele of awarding a contract to Yaro for the supply of two Toyota Hilux Shell Specification Vehicles at the cost of N44,200,000 in 2020.

The former CBN Governor was scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday but the matter could not proceed due to the strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

The Star