JUST IN: EFCC ARRAIGNS EMEFIELE OVER PRINTING OF 684M PCS OF NOTES WITH N18.96BN, PLEADS NOT GUILTY
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…. Emefiele pleads not guilty
Godwin Emefiele, a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), was charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday for authorizing the printing of N684.5 million at the rate of N18.96 billion.
When Emefiele was arraigned on these counts before Justice Maryann Anenih of the FCT High Court, Abuja, he entered a not guilty plea.
The EFCC accused Emefiele of violating the law with the intention of harming the public when he carried out former President Muhammadu Buhari’s naira swap policy, according to the four-count allegation brought against him.
Emefiele was also charged by the anti-graft agency with illegally authorizing the removal of N124.8 billion from the Federation’s Consolidated Revenue Fund.
The former governor of CBN is now facing three counts following his arraignment on Wednesday.
Emefiele was brought before Justice Hamza Muazu on November 17, 2023, and entered a not guilty plea to a six-count accusation of procurement fraud.
Additionally, he was charged with misusing his position of authority by authorizing a deal for the purchase of 43 cars between 2018 and 2020 for a total of N1.2 billion.
The former banker and a man named Henry Omoile were charged by the EFCC on April 8, 2024, for allegedly committing a $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion fraud before Judge Rahman Oshodi of the Special Offenses Court in Ikeja, Lagos.
He entered a not guilty plea to the case as well.
The new charge, dated April 2, 2024, was filed by the EFFC prosecutor Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) alongside eight other lawyers acting on behalf of the Attorney General of the Federation.
Counts one to four of the charge, reads, “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.”
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