Court adjourned Emefiele’s Alleged N1.6bn Fraud Case To Jan 2024

An alleged procurement fraud case involving Godwin Emefiele, the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has been adjourned by a High Court in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The court postponed the trial of the ex-bank chief to January 18 and 19, 2024, for further trial.

Emefiele is facing trial on a six-count amended charge on the alleged procurement of vehicles worth N1.6bn.

He had denied the charges.

He was given bail on November 17, 2023, for N300,000 and two sureties and kept at the Kuje Correctional Centre until he met his bail conditions.

At the continued hearing, the prosecution witness, who is a senior official of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), told the court that Emefiele was not the owner or a shareholder of April1616 Investment Limited, which got a N1.2bn vehicle supply contract from CBN under Emefiele.

He presented several documents on how the company was registered on August 1, 2016, while being led in evidence by EFCC lawyer Rotimi Oyedepo.

He also read out the names of the shareholders of the company, which include Aminu Yaro, Maryam Abdullahi, and Saadatu Yaro as joint owners of the entity.

Emefiele’s lawyer, Mathew Burkaa, who refused to speak on camera, said Emefiele has not met his bail conditions.

The lawyers for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Federal Government did not comment on the day’s proceedings.