Court remands Emefiele in prison, adjourns hearing of bail application
The High Court sitting in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) has ordered the remand of the embattled immediate-past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, at the Kuje correctional centre.
Penpushing reports that the judge, Justice Hamza Muazu, gave the order after Emefiele entered his plea during his arraignment on six counts of corruption on Friday, but pleaded not guilty to the charges instituted against him by the Nigerian government.
The former Governor of the apex bank is the sole defendant in the case involving six amended counts of corruption, while it is recalled that the original charge, which was 20 counts involving alleged fraudulent N6.5 billion contracts, was reduced to six counts.
Penpushing further reports that the amended case is now alleging N1.6 billion fraud, and the Nigerian Government alleged in the case that Emefiele illegally bought 43 vehicles between 2018 and 2020 worth N1.2 billion.
The government in same vein accused the former boss of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) of awarding a contract for the procurement of 37 Toyota Hilux Vehicles valued at N854 million, and apart from the reduction in the number of counts, the prosecution has also reduced the number of defendants to only Emefiele.
Penpushing also reports that In the old charge, Sa’adatu Ramallan-Yaro, a staff member, of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and her company, April 1616 Investment Limited, were charged along with Emefiele, while the duo were accused of conspiracy and procurement fraud involving as much as N6.9 billion.
The charges alleged that the detained Emefiele conferred corrupt advantages on Ms Ramalan-Yaro, using her firm, April 1616 Investment Limited, to execute several procurement contracts spanning years, as the government alleged that the defendants committed the offences by awarding contracts to Mrs Ramalan-Yaro’s company for the supply of cars.
Penpushing reports that the defendants, allegedly through the corrupt transactions, purchased a fleet of about 100 posh vehicles and armoured buses worth about N6.9 billion, while the charges alleged that corrupt transactions took place between 2018 and 2020.
Meanwhile, the arraignment finally took place on Friday, and the judge, Justice Hamza Muazu, however, adjourned until 20 November for his bail application.
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