The Federal Government has concluded arrangements to arraign the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, alongside an official of the apex bank, Sa’adatu Yaro, for N6.9 billion procurement fraud before the High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja.

It was gathered that Emefiele, who was suspended by President Bola Tinubu on June 9, will be arraigned alongside Yaro and her company, April1616 Investment Limited, on 20 charges of procurement fraud, conspiracy, and conferring corrupt advantages on Thursday, August 17, 2023.

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 Federal 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.

It was however learnt that Emefiele 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.

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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.

One of the charges read: “That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in 2018 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did use your position as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff member of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarding a contract for the supply of 37 (Nos.) Toyota Hilux Vehicles at the cost of N854,700,000 only to April 1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which she is a director and thereby committed an offence.

“Statement of the offence: Conferring corrupt advantage contrary to section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.”

Emefiele was said to have also conferred a corrupt advantage on Yaro by awarding a contract for the supply of one Toyota Avalon at the cost of N99.9 million to April1616 Investment Limited.

The suspended CBN boss was also accused of awarding a contract for the supply of another Toyota Landcruiser V8 for N77.050 million to the third defendant in 2018.

He was said to have conspired with Yaro to confer corrupt advantages on the CBN official by awarding to her a contract for the supply of two Toyota Hilux Shell specification vehicles at the cost of N44.2 million in 2020.

Emefiele was further alleged to have awarded another contract to Yaro and her company for the purchase of one Toyota Landcruiser VXR valued at N96 million in 2020.

Yaro was also accused of fraudulent acquisition of property for getting a contract from the CBN for the supply of 47 Toyota Hilux vehicles at the cost of N1,085,700,000 and thereby committed a punishable offence.

Count 10 read: “That you, Sa’adatu Rammala Yaro, female, adult, sometime in 2018 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court while being employed at the CBN knowingly held directly a private interest as director in April1616 Investment Ltd., in a contract awarded to the said company, for the supply of 47 Toyota Hilux vehicles at the cost of N1,085, 700,000 and thereby committed an offence.”

Count 11 read: “That you, Sa’adatu Rammala Yaro, female, adult, sometime in 2018 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court while being employed at the CBN knowingly held directly a private interest as director in April1616 Investment Ltd., in a contract awarded to the said company, emanating from the CBN where you are employed, for the supply of 10 Mercedes Benz armoured buses at the cost of N2,222, 500,00 and thereby committed an offence.”

Listed as witnesses against the defendants were the CBN Director of Procurement, Stanley Alvan; CBN Head of Procurement, Mike Agboro, Tahir Jafar, David Usman and “any other witnesses to be supplied later in the additional proof of evidence”.

The Star