The Federal Government Thursday brought an amended 20-count charge against former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The fresh charges filed by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) counsel and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Rotimi Oyedepo include forgery, conferring of corrupt advantage, and criminal breach of trust, among others.
The government had initially filed 19 counts against the former CBN governor bordering on procurement fraud.
The development comes two months after Emefiele’s initial arraignment on six counts related to procurement irregularities in awarding a contract to April 1616 Investment Limited.
In August 2023, the anti-graft agency brought charges against Emefiele, Sa’adatu Yaro, and the company for violating the Procurement Act during the purchase of vehicles.
The EFCC initially amended the charges in November, dropping the co-defendants and reducing the charges against Emefiele to six.
He pleaded not guilty and was granted bail by Justice Hamza Muazu on November 22, 2023.
The bail conditions included a N300 million bond, two sureties with property in Abuja’s Maitama district, surrender of travel documents, and restricted movement within the city.
But with the amended charge, the EFCC’s pursuit seems far from over.
Oyedepo informed the court on Wednesday of the amended charge.
The 20-count charge includes, Count 1: “Conferring corrupt advantage contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000”
The particulars of offence are 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’aclatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarcling 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 the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro is a Director and you thereby committed an offence.”
Count 2: “Conferring corrupt advantage contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.”
The offence particulars are “That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, sometime in 2019 did use your position as Governor of the CBN to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff of the CBN by awarding a contract for the supply of 1 (No.) Toyota Avalon at the cost of N99,900,000 only to April 1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro is a Director and thereby committed an offence.”
Count 3: “Conferring corrupt advantage contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
“Particulars of offence: That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, sometime in 2019 did use your position as Governor of the CBN to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff of the CBN by awarding a contract for the supply of 1 (No.) Toyota Landcruiser V8 at the cost of Seveny-three billion and eight hundred Thousand Naira (N73,800,000.00) only to April 1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro is a Director and you thereby committed an offence.
The court on Thursday approved Emefiele’s request to travel out of Abuja.
The court, however, specified that Emefiele must stay within the country, adhering to the bail terms that restrict his movements to the Federal Capital Territory.
