Emefiele Didn’t Confer Corrupt Advantage On Self, Says Witness

The prosecution witness in the trial of former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele, Mr Michael Agboro, has told the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), that the Emefiele did not confer any unfair, corrupt advantage on himself in the award of contracts to some companies during his tenure at the apex bank.

Emefiele is standing trial on an 20-count amended charge preferred against him by the Office of the Attorney-general of the Federation (OAGF).

He was alleged to have engaged in criminal breach of trust, forgery, conspiracy to obtain by false pretence and obtaining money by false pretence when he served as the apex bank’s boss.

During the trial yesterday, Agboro, the 7th witness, an investigator with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), led in evidence by Mr Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), tendered several documents including company registration documents and award as well as payments for contract relating to the two forms.

The investigator however claimed that Emefiele conferred unfair and corrupt advantage in the award of contracts to April 1616 and Archtekon because documents with his team, comprising of persons drawn from the ICPC, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and the Department of State Services (DSS), showed that while a director of April 1616, Mrs Saadatu Yaro, is a public officer with the CBN, Emefiele’s wife, Margaret Omoyile and his brother-in-law, Mac Congo, are directors in Architekon.

However, during cross examination by Emefiele’s lawyer, Mr Mathew Burkaa (SAN), the witness when asked whether the defendant conferred unfair and corrupt advantage on himself, answered that, “he conferred on Saadatu Ramalan Yaro, who is a public officer working under him. He also conferred on his wife and brother-in-law.