Remigius Ugwu, a Compliance Officer with Zenith Bank, on Tuesday, narrated to Justice Hamza Muazu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) how the sum of N1.3 bil\u00adlion was at different times wired into the account of April 1616 In\u00advestment Ltd, a company alleged\u00adly linked to Saadatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).<\/p>\n
Emefiele is being prosecut\u00aded over allegation bordering on breach of procurement proce\u00addure in the award of the contract to April 1616 Investment Limited.<\/p>\n
Ugwu, a witness called by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was testi\u00adfying in an alleged fraud case of N1.6 billion filed against the former governor of the CBN, Godwin Emefiele, by the agency.<\/p>\n
Among the 6-count charge lev\u00adelled against Emefiele, the EFCC alleged that the sacked CBN governor, sometime in 2018, used his position to confer a corrupt advantage on Saadatu Ramal\u00adlan Yaro, a staff of the CBN, by awarding a contract for the sup\u00adplying of 37 Toyota Hilux vehicles at the cost of N854,700,000 to April 1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Saadatu Ramal\u00adlan Yaro, is a director.<\/p>\n
Ugwu, testifying as the 2nd prosecution witness, was led in evidence by the EFCC lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN).<\/p>\n
Specifically, he told Justice Muazu how on October 19, 2020, a sum of N39,060,465, another N421,953,488 on November 6, 2020 and the third one, N304,883,720 was paid on November 23, 2020, to the same company linked to the embattled CBN staff, who is equally facing trial with Emefiele.<\/p>\n
Similarly, the witness dis\u00adclosed that N304, 883,720 was paid on January 1, 2021 and another N304, 883, 720 paid to the same company on March 23, 2021 by the CBN.<\/p>\n
Though, Ugwu admitted that none of the payments had any link with Emefiele\u2019s name, how\u00adever, he confessed not knowing the purpose of the payments.<\/p>\n
The witness tendered various documents on behalf of Zenith Bank, adding that the former CBN governor was not a sig\u00adnatory to the bank account of April1616 Ltd.<\/p>\n
At the beginning of the trial, the first prosecution witness, Samsideen Romanus, a top of\u00adficial of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) informed the court that Emefiele was not the owner or shareholder of the April1616 Investment Limited, a company which the CBN under Emefiele, awarded the N1.2 bil\u00adlion vehicle supply contract.<\/p>\n
The witness gave evidence on how the company was incorpo\u00adrated on August 1, 2016 and ten\u00addered several documents on how the company was floated.<\/p>\n
He read out before the court, names of the shareholders of the company, which comprised Aminu Idris Yaro, Maryam Aliyu Abdullahi and Saadatu Ramalan Yaro as joint owners of the entity.<\/p>\n
Romanus while tendering several documents on how the company was incorporated on August 1, 2016, said that Eme\u00adfiele\u2019s name was not connected with the company.<\/p>\n
The witness explained that although CAC was responsible for incorporation of the compa\u00adny, however, it played no roles in the day to day running of affairs of the entity.<\/p>\n
The third witness, Oluwole Owoeye, a Deputy Director, Bank\u00ading Services with CBN and for\u00admer Secretary to Major Contract Tendering Committee (MCTC) of the CBN, said that his body was responsible for ensuring of com\u00adpliance with Procurement Act.<\/p>\n
Owoeye, however, informed the court that his committee was not involved in the vetting of bidding for the award of con\u00adtracts that led to prosecution of Emefiele.<\/p>\n
The witness explained that another committee handled the bidding because it was above the thresholds of his own committee.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy Lord, all I know is through our records is that con\u00adtracts for award of vehicle sup\u00adplies were awarded to April1616 but I cannot say whether the contracts were executed or paid for because my committee played no role\u201d.<\/p>\n
He admitted that MCTC and Procurement Department were fully functional while Emefiele held sway as CBN governor.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, further trial has been adjourned to January 18 and 19, next year.<\/p>\n
The former CBN chief was accused of conferring corrupt advantages on a staff of CBN, Mrs. Saadat Ramallan Yaro, through awards of vehicle supply contracts worth over N1.2 billion contrary to Section 19 of the Cor\u00adrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act 2000.<\/p>\n
Other charges against Eme\u00adfiele are, \u201cThat you Godwin If\u00adeanyi Emefiele, sometime in 2019 within the jurisdiction of this court, did use your position as governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to confer a corrupt advantage on Saadatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarding a contract for the supply of one Toyota Ava\u00adlon at the cost of N99, 900, 000 to April1616 Investment Ltd, a com\u00adpany in which the said Saadatu Ramallan Yaro is a director and thereby committed an offence.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat you Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, sometime in 2019 within the jurisdiction of this court, did use your position as governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to confer a corrupt advantage on Saadatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarding a contract for the supply of one Toyota Land Cruiser V8 at the cost of N73, 800, 000 to April1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Saadatu Ramallan Yaro is a di\u00adrector and thereby committed an offence.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat you Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, sometime in 2020 with\u00adin the jurisdiction of this court, did use your position as governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to confer a corrupt advan\u00adtage on Saadatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff of the Central Bank of Nige\u00adria by awarding a contract for the supply of two Toyota Hilux Shell specification vehicles at the cost of N44, 200, 000 to April1616 Invest\u00adment Ltd, a company in which the said Saadatu Ramallan Yaro is a director and thereby committed an offence.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, sometime in 2020 with\u00adin the jurisdiction of this court, did use your position as governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to confer a corrupt advan\u00adtage on Saadatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff of the Central Bank of Ni\u00adgeria by awarding a contract for the supply of one Toyota Land Cruiser VXR V8 contract no: POO26821 at the cost of N69, 000, 000 to April1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Saada\u00adtu Ramallan Yaro is a director and thereby committed an offence.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat you Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, sometime in 2020 within the jurisdiction of this court, did use your position as governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to confer a corrupt advantage on Saadatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarding a contract for the supply of one Toyota Land Cruiser VXR V8 at the cost of N69, 000, 000, contract no: POO26822 to April1616 Investment Ltd, a com\u00adpany in which the said Saadatu Ramallan Yaro is a director and thereby committed an offence\u201d.