Baring any last minute change of plan, the suspended Governor of the Central Bank (CBN), Godwin Emefiele will be arraigned by the Federal Government on Thursday before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja on a fresh 20-count charge bordering on alleged conspiracy and procurement fraud.
According to the charges, Mr Emefiele and Ms Yaro were alleged to have purchased a fleet of about 100 posh vehicles and armoured buses worth about N6.9 billion.
Before the filling of the fresh charges, the Federal Government had through the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), in the Federal Ministry of Justice, Abubakar Mohammed, withdrew the initial charges of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition filed against him.
He told the court that the withdrawal of the old charged followed the outcome of more investigation conducted by the prosecution.
Emefiele, who has been in the custody of the State Security Service (SSS) since 10 June, is to answer to fresh 20 charges of conspiracy and procurement fraud.
He was charged alongside a CBN staff member, Sa’adatu Yaro, and her company, April 1616 Investment Limited. The alleged transactions took place between 2018 and 2020.
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The government accuses Mr Emefiele of conferring corrupt advantages on Ms Yaro through the award of contracts to her company up to the tune of N99.9m for the supply of cars.
According to the charges, Mr Emefiele and Ms Yaro were alleged to have purchased a fleet of about 100 posh vehicles and armoured buses worth about N6.9 billion.
The fresh charges revealed the vehicles purchased between 2018 and 2020 were 84 Toyota Hilux vehicles, 10 armoured Mercedes Benz buses, three Toyota Landcruisers and one Toyota Avalon car.
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In count one,
Mr Emefiele was said to have “sometime in 2018 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did use your position as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff member of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarding a contract for the supply of 37 (Nos.) Toyota Hilux Vehicles at the cost of N854,700,000 only to April 1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which she is a director and thereby committed an offence.”
In another count, the suspended CBN chief, Ms Yaro and her company “sometime in 2019 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did conspire amongst yourselves to use the office of Mr. Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarding a contract for the supply of 1 (No.) Toyota Landcruiser V8 at the cost of N73,800,000 only to April 1616 Investment Ltd.
Acording to count 10,
“Ms Yaro, sometime in 2018 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court while being employed at the CBN knowingly held directly a private interest as director in April1616 Investment Ltd., in a contract awarded to the said company, for the supply of 47 Toyota Hilux vehicles at the cost of N1,085, 700,000 and thereby committed an offence.’’
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Count 11 says:
“That you, Sa’adatu Rammala Yaro, female, adult, sometime in 2018 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court while being employed at the CBN knowingly held directly a private interest as director in April1616 Investment Ltd., in a contract awarded to the said company, emanating from the CBN where you are employed, for the supply of 10 Mercedes Benz armoured buses at the cost of N2,222, 500,00 and thereby committed an offence.’’
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