A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama, Abuja, has ordered the remand of former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, in Kuje Correctional Facility pending a ruling on his bail application.
Justice Hamza Muazu issued the order on Friday, November 17, on Emefiele’s arraignment and his plea of not guilty to a six-count amended charge filed by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF).
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He is, in the charge marked CR/577/2023, accused of “conferring corrupt advantage,” contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
Justice Muazu, who took arguments on Emefiele’s bail application, adjourned till November 22 for a ruling on the bail application and November 28 for the commencement of trial.
While arguing the bail application, Emefiele’s lawyer, Matthew Burkaa (SAN), prayed for the court to exercise its discretion in the ex-CBN’s favour because he has suffered too long in the hands of the Federal Government, which kept him for 151 days in its custody.
Burkaa, who tendered documents, including evidence of the bail earlier granted Emefiele by Justice Olukayode Adeniyi (also of the High Court of the FCT), said the initial bail was a temporary relief in view of the fact that the ex-CBN Governor had suffered unduly in custody.
He added that the bail application was filed when the defendant had been in state custody for 151 days.
Burkaa argued that while the defendant has placed enough evidence before the court that Emefiele will not jump bail, the prosecution has not supplied any evidence to show that he will jump bail.
The lawyer for the prosecution, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), urged the court to refuse the bail application but instead grant an accelerated hearing of the case.
Oyedepo assured that the prosecution would not delay in its handling of the case.
He said the prosecution plans to call five witnesses in all, even though it listed eight.
Oyedepo said the prosecution was ready to commence trial at any date chosen by the court.
He argued that the order for bail earlier granted was in respect of a fundamental rights enforcement suit, while this one is a criminal prosecution.
Meanwhile, the scheduled hearing of the fundamental rights enforcement suit pending before Justice Adeniyi could not go on owing to the request by Emefiele’s lawyer that he be allowed a short adjournment to respond to some court documents served on him by the respondents.
Lawyers to the federal government and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Oyin Koleosho, and the lawyer to the Economic and Financial Commission (EFCC) and its chairman, Farouk Abdullah, did not object to the request for adjournment.
Ruling, Justice Adeniyi rescheduled the hearing for December 11 at 1 p.m.
The six counts in the charge in the criminal case read:
*That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in 2018 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 Toyota Hilux Vehicles at the cost of N854,700,000.00 only to April 1616 Investment Ltd., a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro is a director, and thereby committing an offence.
*That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in 2019 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 Ramailan Yaro, a staff member of the Central Bank of Nigeria, by awarding a contract for the supply of one Toyota Avalon at the cost of N99,900,000.00 only to Aprili616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramailan Yaro is a director, and thereby committed an offence.
That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in 2019 did use your position as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Ramalian Yaro, a staff member of the Central Bank of Nigeria, by awarding a contract for the supply of one Toyota Landcruiser V8 at the cost of N73 800 000 00 only to Aprii1616 Investment Ltd., a company in which the said Sa‘adatu Ramailan Yaro is a director, and thereby committing an offence.
*That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in 2020, used your position as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Ramailan Yaro, a staff member of the Central Bank of Nigeria, by awarding a contract for the supply of two Toyota Hilux Shell Specification Vehicles at the cost of N44,200,000.00 only to April 1616 Investment Ltd., a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro is a director, and thereby committing an offense.
*That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in 2020, did use your position as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa adatu Ramalian Yaro, a staff member of the Central Bank of Nigeria, by awarding a contract for the supply of one Toyota Land Cruiser VXR V8 (CONTRACT NO: PO026821) at the cost of N69,000,000.00 only to Aprill616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro is a director, and thereby committed an offence.
*That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in 2020, 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 one Toyota Land Cruiser VXR V8 at the cost of N69,000,000.00 only ( Contract No: PC26S22) to Ape 1616 Investment Ltd a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro is a Director and thereby committed an offence.