Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has granted former CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele bail in the sum of N300 million with two sureties of the same amount, and he is to deposit his travel documents. .
The court granted bail to the former CBN governor along with two sureties who must be the owners of the Maitama land and are ordered to deposit the certificate of occupancy of the property.
Meanwhile, the judge ordered him to be remanded to Kuje Correctional Center until bail conditions are met.
The court also ordered that they must return their travel documents to the court, remain within the jurisdiction of the FCT, and apply for leave from the court before traveling.
Meanwhile, Judge Muas set the start date for the main trial as November 28th.
On Friday, Emefiele was finally arraigned and pleaded not guilty to six amended charges filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Muasu, who heard Emefiele’s bail application, adjourned the hearing until today to rule on the bail application and the start of the trial until November 28.
The original 20 charges against the former CBN governor were reduced to six, amounting to N1.6 billion. Mr. Emefiele is the only defendant in the new charges.
According to the amended indictment, the charges remain close to procurement fraud. The federal government alleged that Emefiele illegally purchased 43 vehicles worth N1.2 billion between 2018 and 2020. He is also suspected of having entered into a procurement contract for 37 Toyota Hilux cars worth N854 million.
Count one and say, “You, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in 2018, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, you used your position as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to corrupt Saadatu Ramalan Yaro.” April 1616 Investment Co., Ltd., of which Saadatu Ramalan Yaro is a director, has awarded a contract to supply 37 Toyota Hilux cars to Central Bank of Nigeria officials at a cost of 854.7 million naira. He gave and thereby fulfilled his promise. It is a violation.”
The second count alleges that Emefiele used his position to gain an unfair advantage by awarding Yaro, an official of the Central Bank of Nigeria, a contract to supply one Toyota Avalon for N99.9 million until April 1616. He was accused of “giving him a position.” Investment Ltd. is the company whose said director Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro committed the offence. ”
He also committed corrupt practices in violation of Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Act, 2000 by entering into a contract for the supply of one Toyota Land Cruiser V8 to April1616 Investment Ltd. for N73 million in 2019. He was also charged with providing benefits.
The fourth complaint concerned a Toyota Land Cruiser V8 worth NOK 73.8 million that was illegally sold to April 1616 Investments Ltd.
The Federal Government further accused the former CBN governor of awarding a contract to Yaro for the supply of two Toyota Hilux shell spec cars in 2020 for N44.2 million.
Source: guardian.ng