THE Federal Government is set to prosecute the suspended Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele along with two other person on alleged fraud charges.
This was disclosed by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) at the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mohammed Bakodo Abubakar, on Wednesday.
The suspects are to be arraigned on Thursday before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
The suspects are facing over 20 new counts bordering on allegations of procurement fraud.
The charge sheet explains that the 3 suspects allegedly bought a fleet of 98 exotic vehicles and armoured buses valued to the tune of N6.9billion.
Aa per the sheet, the vehicles are listed as: 84 Toyota Hilux trucks; 10 armoured Mercedes Benz buses; 3 Toyota Landcruisers and; 1 Toyota Avalon car.
The accused are alleged to have purchased the said vehicles between the year 2018 and 2020.
“That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, female, adult, and April 1616 Investment Ltd, sometime in 2019 within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court did conspire amongst yourselves to use the office of Mr Godwin Emefiele as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff of thr Central Bank of Nigeria by awarding a contract for the supply of 1 (No.) Toyota Land Cruiser V8 at the cost of N73,800,000 only to April 1616 Investment Ltd,” one of the charges read.
It will be recalled that, on July 25, Emefiele was admitted to a N20 million bail while facing two count charges bordering on illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
Following his bail admittance, the court had ordered that he be remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre until his bail conditions are fulfilled.
That was not to be as the DSS rearrested the suspended CBN Governor after a face-off with prison officials on the court premises.
Only 24hrs ago, AfriqueCan reported that the FG had applied to withdraw their earlier charge of “illegal possession of firearms” it had filed against Emefiele at the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos.
The FG’s oral application was subsequently countered by Emefiele’s defence counsel, Joseph Daudu (SAN), who held that the FG was already contempt of court’s order granting Emefiele bail.
He, therefore, posited that the application could not be taken.
The court adjourned its ruling on the case till August 18.
