FG Arraigns Emefiele On Six Counts Of Alleged N1.6bn Procurement Fraud

Godwin Emefiele, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, has been charged with six counts that border on alleged procurement by the federal government.

To the tune of N1.6 billion, the original charge—which was 20 counts—has been lowered to six counts. The new charge only names Emefiele as a defendant.

After hearing the six-count charge read to him, the former CBN governor appeared in court on Friday to request bail and entered a not guilty plea.

The charges still veer toward procurement fraud, according to the updated charge sheet.

The Federal Government claimed in the amended charge sheet that Emefiele unlawfully purchased 43 N1.2 billion vehicles between 2018 and 2020.

He was charged with approving a contract worth N854 million for the purchase of 37 Toyota Hilux vehicles.

The first count read, “That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, used your position as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria sometime in 2018 to give Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff member of that company, the contract for the supply of 37 Toyota Hilux Vehicles at the cost of N854, 700,000 only to April1616 Investment Ltd., and thereby committed an offense,” according to the Honourable Court.

“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., which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro Director and thereby committed an offense,” Emefiele was charged in the second count.

Additionally, he was charged with violating Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Act 2000 by awarding a contract for the 2019 delivery of one Toyota Landcruiser V8 to April1616 Investment Ltd. for N73 million.

A Toyota Landcruiser V8 worth N73,800,000 that was illegally given to April 1616 Investment Ltd. was the subject of the fourth count.

Source: Channels TV