N6.9bn fraud: Court adjourns case against Emefiele to August 23

A High Court sitting in Abuja has adjourned the alleged N6.9 billion procurement case preferred against the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, to August 23, 2023.

The presiding judge, Justice Hamza Muazu, adjourned the matter on Thursday, August 17, following the absence of the other two defendants in the matter.

Emefiele was supposed to be arraigned alongside a female CBN official, Sa’adatu Yaro, and her company, April 1616 Investment Limited, on 20 charges of procurement fraud, conspiracy and conferring corrupt advantages on his associates.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mohammed Abubakar, had, on Tuesday, August 15, said 20 charges had been filed against Emefiele at the High Court in Abuja.

This followed the withdrawal of charges against the suspended CBN Governor at the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos State.

Emefiele was said to have allegedly conferred corrupt advantages on Yaro, a director in April 1616 Investment Limited.

If convicted, Emefiele may be sentenced to five years imprisonment without an option of a fine.

The section read: “Any public officer who uses his office or position to gratify or confer any corrupt or unfair advantage upon himself or any relation or associate of the public officer or any other public officer shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to imprisonment for five years without an option of fine.”

Emefiele, Yaro, and the company, in the charges, were also accused of buying over 98 exotic vehicles and armoured buses valued at about N6.9 billion.

Some of the vehicles bought between 2018 and 2020 included 84 Toyota Hilux vehicles, 10 armoured Mercedes Benz buses, three Toyota Landcruisers, and one Toyota Avalon car.

The Star