The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has filed a fresh charge at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory against the embattled former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.
EFCC in the charge accused Emefiele of approving the
printing of N684,590,000 at the rate of N18.96 billion.
In the charge sheets sighted by PUNCH Online on Tuesday,
EFCC alleged that Emefiele broke the law with intent to harm the public during
his implementation of the naira swap policy of the administration of former
President Muhammadu Buhari.
The anti-graft agency also accused Emefiele of unlawfully
approving the withdrawal of N124.8 billion from the Consolidated Revenue Fund
of the Federation.
The document dated April 2, 2024, and marked Suit No:
CR/264/2024, was filed by EFCC’s top prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN revealed
that Emefiele will be arraigned on a new four-count charge before Justice Hamza
Muazu bordering on disobeying the law to punish Nigerians, iilegal printing of
money, abuse of office, among others.
Counts one to four of the charge, read, “STATEMENT OF
OFFENCE: Public Servant disobeying direction of law with intent to cause injury
to the public contrary to and punishable under Section 123 of the Penal Code
Law, Cap. 89 Laws of the Federation, 1990.
“PARTICULARS OF THE OFFENCE: That you GODWIN IFEANYI
EMEFIELE between the 19th day of October 2022 and 5th March 2023 in Abuja,
knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 19 of the CBN Act, 2007, by
approving the printing of N375,520,000.00 pieces of colour swapped N1, 000, at
the total cost of N11,052, 068,062 without the recommendation of the Board of
Central Bank and the strict approval of the President, Federal Republic of
Nigeria which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed
an offence.”
“COUNT 2: “That you, GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE, between the
19th of October 2022 and 5th March 2023 in Abuja, knowingly disobeyed the
direction of Section 19 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007, by approving
the printing of 172,000,000 pieces of colour swapped N500 (Five Hundred Naira)
Notes, at the total cost of N4, 471,066,040 without the recommendation of the
Board of Central Bank and the strict approval of the President, Federal
Republic of Nigeria which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you
thereby committed an offence.
“COUNT 3: “That you GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE between the 19th
day of October 2022 and 5th March 2023 in Abuja, knowingly disobeyed the
direction of Section 19 of the CBN Act, 2007, by approving the printing of
137,070,000 pieces of colour swapped N200 (Two Hundred Naira) Note, at the
total cost of N3, 441, 005, 280 without the recommendation of the Board of
Central Bank and the strict approval of the President, Federal Republic of
Nigeria which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed
an offence.”
“COUNT 4: “That you, GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE, on or about
the 7th day of October 2020, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this
Honorable Court, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 80 of the
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended), by
approving the withdrawal of the total sum of N124, 860, 227, 865.16 from the
Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation in a manner not prescribed by the
National Assembly, which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you
thereby committed an offence.”
Recall that Emefiele was on November 18, 2023, arraigned
before the court on six counts of procurement fraud, in what is the most
high-profile corruption case under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He was also accused of abusing his office by approving a
contract for the acquisition of 43 vehicles totalling N1.2 billion from 2018 to
2020.
On Monday, April 8, 2024, the EFCC arraigned the former
banker alongside one Henry Omoile before Justice R.A. Oshodi of the Special
Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos for an alleged $4.5bn and N2.8bn fraud.
0 comments:
Post a Comment