ICPC official: How Emefiele awarded contracts to wife, brother-in-law

An official of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Michael Agboro, has narrated to the FCT High Court in the Maitama area of Abuja how the immediate past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, awarded contracts to companies belonging to his wife and his brother-in-law.

Emefiele is standing trial on an alleged 20-count amended charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before the FCT High Court.

He was alleged to have engaged in criminal breach of trust, forgery, conspiracy to obtain by false pretence and obtaining money by false pretence when he served as the CBN Governor.

The EFCC alleged that the former CBN boss forged a document titled: Re: Presidential Directive on Foreign Election Observer Missions dated January 26, 2023, with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/201 and purported the same to have emanated from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (AGF).

Emefiele was also accused of using his office as CBN Governor to confer unfair and corrupt advantage on two companies – April 1616 Nigeria Limited and Architekon Nigeria Limited.

However, Agboro, an investigator with ICPC who testified before the court on Monday, June 24, 2024, was cross-examined by Emefiele’s counsel, Mathew Burkaa (SAN).

When asked if the defendant conferred unfair and corrupt advantage on himself, he said: “He conferred on Saadatu Yaro, who is a public officer working under him. He also conferred on his wife and brother-in-law.”

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When asked if Emefiele alone could award and approve contracts, the ICPC official said the contracts were approved by the former CBN Governor.

Answering if there was no difference between CBN and Emefiele, he said: “The difference is that the defendant was an employee of CBN.”

When asked if the defendant was a member of the tender’s board or procurement department, Agboro said he did not know.

H added: “We limited our investigation to him, his wife, relatives and associates.

“Our findings revealed that the defendant was not a director or shareholder or an account signatory in either April1616 limited or Architekon Nigeria limited.”

Agboro also admitted that there was no evidence of any payment made to Emefiele by the companies during the course of his duties at the CBN.

Asked if in the course of their investigation, they interviewed CBN officials to determine whether the two firms executed the jobs they were contracted to do, the witness said “yes”.

However, when asked if the team stated this fact in their final report, the ICPC investigator said he could not recall if they did.

Agboro being led in evidence by the EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), on March 11, tendered several documents, including company registration documents and awards as well as payments for contracts relating to the two forms.

He added that documents his team, comprising of persons drawn from the ICPC, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and the Department of State Service (DSS), showed that while a Director of April 1616, Yaro, is a public officer with the CBN, Emefiele’s wife, Margaret Omoyile, and his brother-in-law, Mac Congo, were directors at Architekon.

Presiding judge Justice Hamza Muazu, therefore, adjourned the matter until Tuesday, June 25, for re-examination of the witness.

The Star