Emefiele: EFCC witness admits ex-CBN governor did not influence contracts awarded to company

An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) witness, Salawu Gana, on Monday, admitted that the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, did not influence multi-million naira contracts awarded to April 1616 Investment Ltd—one of the companies for which Emefiele is indicted over the unlawful award of contracts.

Gana, the head of the procurement unit at CBN, made this disclosure before Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court during a cross-examination by Emefiele’s legal team.

Nairametrics previously reported that in March 2024, the EFCC told the Federal Capital Territory High Court that Emefiele and nine other officials at the apex bank were allegedly involved in approving multi-billion naira contracts to his wife, Margaret; his brother-in-law; and a staff member of the apex bank, Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro.

Facts of the Case   Emefiele was arraigned before Justice Hamza Muazu of the FCT High Court over the alleged illegal award of contracts.

The EFCC alleged that Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, a director at April 1616 Investment Ltd, was awarded several contracts by the CBN under Emefiele’s purview for the supply of over 45 Toyota Hilux vehicles, with contract values ranging from N854,700,000 to N99,900,000.Emefiele’s wife, Margaret, and his brother-in-law were accused of being directors and major shareholders of Architecom Nigeria Ltd, a company that was said to have been contracted by the apex bank to renovate the CBN governor’s residence in Ikoyi, Lagos State.Emefiele denied the allegations and subsequently applied to the court for leave to travel to the UK from July 28 and return on September 10, 2024.However, EFCC’s counsel, Muhammad Abbas Omeiza, argued that there was no medical report before the court proving that Emefiele was suffering from any ailment.He insisted that the embattled governor was facing cases in three different courts.On July 16, 2024, the Federal Capital Territory High Court dismissed Emefiele’s request to access his international passport to enable him to travel to the United Kingdom for a follow-up medical check-up, paving the way for a full trial.

What Transpired in Court  At the resumption of proceedings on Monday, Gana continued his testimony.

Led in evidence by EFCC counsel Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, the witness tendered exhibits showing the award of 45 contracts for the supply of vehicles to the CBN by April 1616, RK Briscoe, and Globe Motors.

The witness further testified that at the time, the procurement department received quotations for the supply of vehicles to CBN from three companies: RK Briscoe, Globe Motors, and April 1616.According to Gana, “April 1616 got the contract award because the company’s bid was the lowest among the three bidders.”

He added that the procurement department at CBN approved the proposal from April 1616 after evaluation and vetting.The witness also stated that the vehicles purchased for the CBN “passed due process under procurement laws.”   During cross-examination, Emefiele’s lawyer, Matthew Burkaa, SAN, asked the witness whether his client had given approval for the contract awarded to April 1616 after recommendations by relevant departments, including procurement.

The witness responded in the affirmative.

Gana admitted that the vehicles were supplied first, after which April 1616 was paid following the defendant’s approval.He also noted that at the time of the contract award, Emefiele “was not a member of the CBN tenders board.”   A tenders board is a committee responsible for overseeing government procurement procedures.

Under cross-examination, the witness also confirmed that none of the procurement officers who recommended April 1616 for the contract, including himself, had been indicted or prosecuted by the EFCC.Gana denied witnessing any evidence of April 1616 making payments to Emefiele in connection with the contract and procurement process.He added Emefiele did not “direct or influence him”, either through phone calls or SMS messages, to favour April 1616 in the procurement recommendation.He further confirmed that Emefiele was not a director, shareholder, or signatory to the disputed company’s account.At the end of Gana’s testimony—the EFCC’s 10th witness—the prosecution applied to call an additional witness in the interest of a fair hearing.

However, Matthew Burkaa opposed the application, insisting that all witnesses presented by the EFCC had already testified to all the EFCC’s documentary evidence.

After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Hamza Muazu fixed March 20 to rule on the EFCC’s application to bring in additional witnesses.

What You Should Know   Emefiele was arraigned on a 20-count charge bordering on alleged corrupt practices and forgery instituted by the EFCC.

The former governor pleaded not guilty to the charges, and the trial commenced.On February 13, 2024, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, told the court that his principal, former President Muhammadu Buhari, did not approve $6.2 million as payment for election observers.During previous proceedings, an EFCC document analyst also confirmed the alleged forgery of signatures belonging to Buhari and Mustapha.The embattled former governor is facing criminal proceedings in two other trial courts in Lagos and Abuja.