Godwin Emefiele, the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), appeared before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja on Thursday, August 17, regarding an alleged N6.9 billion procurement scam.
The second defendant, who is alleged to be ill, was not present at his arraignment, which caused it to be postponed.
While Sa'adatu Yaro, a female CBN employee who is the second defendant, was not present in court, Emefiele, the first defendant was.
The matter was postponed to August 23, 2023, by the presiding judge, Justice Hamza Muazu, in response to a request for delay.
Along with Yaro and her business, April1616 Investment Limited, Emefiele will be charged with 20 counts of procurement fraud, conspiracy, and giving his friends unfair advantages.
Emefiele is accused of giving Yaro, a director at April 1616 Investment Ltd., corrupt advantages.
The Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000's Section 19 is violated by the crime.
Emefiele was accused of giving Yaro a corrupt advantage by giving her company, April1616 Investment Ltd., a contract in 2019 to deliver one Toyota Avalon for N99.9 million.
The suspended governor was charged with giving the third defendant a contract in 2018 for the supply of a Toyota Landcruiser V8 for N77.050 million.
According to reports, the ex-CBN governor and Yaro planned to give the CBN employee corrupt privileges by giving her a contract for the supply of two Toyota Hilux Shell-specified trucks at a cost of N44.2 million sometime in 2020.
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 additionally charged by the Federal Government with conspiring to give the second defendant a corrupt advantage in violation of Sections 26(c) and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000, which is punishable under Section 19 of the same Act.
That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, female, adult, and April 1616 Investment Ltd, sometime in 2019 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did conspire amongst yourselves to use the office of Mr. Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarding a contract for the supply of 1 (No.) Toyota Landcruiser V8 at the cost of N73,800,000 only to April 1616 Investment Ltd,” the charge stated.
