The federal government has denied entering into a plea bargain with sacked Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
A recent report claimed the embattled former apex bank governor entered an agreement with the government, so that charg es will not be pressed against him.
Emefiele was sacked in June by President Tinubu, and is currently facing corruption charges, including a N6.5 billion procurement charge alongside a proxy who’s also an employee of the CBN.
But a report claimed that Emefiele lawyers have signed an agreement with the federal government prosecutor, where he’s expected to return N50 billion to the federal government in exchange for his freedom from the Department of State Services, DSS, which has held him since June this year.
The office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, however denied the existence of such agreement.
A statement signed on Sunday by Modupe Ogundoro, the spokesperson for the Ministry said it has not entered such agreement, even though Emefiele’s lawyers are disposed to such.
Part of the statement read: “The attention of the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice has been drawn to reports alleging that the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, and the Federal Government of Nigeria, have agreed to a non-prosecution plea bargain arrangement.
“The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice hereby state clearly that these reports are completely false.
“It would be noted that the legal team representing Godwin Emefiele had expressed its intention in court at the last hearing to initiate a plea bargain arrangement. However, no such arrangement has been reached with Mr. Godwin Emefiele or his representatives.
“We wish to advise the media and members of the public to kindly disregard the said false report. The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice will continue to take all actions in the interest of the Nigerian public.”
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu disclosed in his nationwide broadcast to mark Nigeria’s 63rd independence that the audit report of the CBN under Emefiele will soon be released to the public
