August 17, (THEWILL) – A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja, has adjourned until August 23, the arraignment of the suspended Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, for alleged procurement fraud.
THEWILL reports that the Federal Government had filed 20 charges, bordering on alleged procurement fraud against Emefiele, a female CBN employee, Sa’adatu Yaro and her company, April1616 Investment Limited.
According to the charges signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mohammed Abubakar; Deputy Director, Public Prosecution, Mrs Nkiru Jones-Nebo and eight other ministry officials, the Federal Government is accusing Emefiele of procurement fraud, conspiracy and conferring corrupt advantages on his associates.
The charges read in part: “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.”
Upon arraignment on Thursday, the presiding Judge, Justice Hamza Muazu, adjourned the matter to August 23, following the absence of the second defendant, Sa’adatu Yaro.
Although Emefiele, the first defendant was present in court, but the arraignment, Counsel to the Federal Government and Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Mohammed Abubakar, told Justice Hamza Muazu that Mrs Sa’adatu Yaro took ill.
Abubakar apologised to the court and applied for a new date for arraignment.
Justice Muazu subsequently fixed August 23, for the arraignment after Emefiele’s lawyer, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), supported the motion for adjournment.
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