Jurisdiction, CBN, Court, Emefiele
Advertisement

Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, has pleaded not guilty in the 20-court charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

At his re-arraignment on Friday, January 19, 2024 at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, Abuja, Emefiele denied all the charges.

Advertisement

As soon as he took the no-guilty plea, the trial judge, Justice Hamza Muazu adjourned till February 12th and 13th for the commencement of trial.

The ex-CBN governor was first arraigned by EFCC on six counts of N1.2 billion procurement allegations. The anti-graft agency has amended the charges to 20-count charges.

Emefiele speaks on $6.3m fraud, 593 accounts, silent on banks’ ownership

In the new charges, Emefiele was accused of impersonating the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to illegally obtain a sum of $6.2 million.

In the amended charge marked CR/577/2023, the ex-CBN Governor had on February 8, 2023, connived with one Odoh Ocheme to obtain $6.2 million from the CBN, claiming that it was requested by the SGF “vide a letter dated 26th January 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/201.”

The EFCC stated that Emefiele claimed that the SGF requested the CBN to release “a contingent logistic advance in the sum of $6,230,000.00 in line with Mr. President’s directive.”

Details shortly…

The Star

Advertisement