By Akinwale Kasali
Dr. Godwin Emefiele, embattled former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has requested that the High Court in Abuja, should dismiss the prosecution in his ongoing trial over alleged procurement fraud.
The former Governor of the Apex Bank is standing trial before the Honourable Justice Hamza Muazu in a suit filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, in the case marked CR/577/2023, on an amended 20-Count Charge.
Emefiele was charged by the Federal Government of criminal breach of trust, conferring corrupt advantage, forgery, conspiracy to obtain by false pretences, and obtaining money by false pretences while he was the CBN Governor.
He is alleged to have used his position as CBN Governor to award six different contracts for the supply of different vehicles to one Sa’adatu Ramalan Yaro, a member of staff of CBN, to the tune of N1,210,600,000, among other allegations.
Though, he pleaded not guilty to the charge leveled against him, Emefiele’s counsel, Mathew Burkaa, SAN, urged the court to dismiss the prosecution, stressing the request was due to the failure of the prosecution to be present in Court, having known of the adjourned date.
Burkaa told the court that the matter was slated for continuation of the hearing, but the prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, was not in court and did not send a representative.
He added that he was informed by the Court Registrar on Monday, through a WhatsApp message, that a letter had been sent seeking an adjournment by the prosecution.
He told the court that the application he was shown in the Court was sent by anti graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
He said the charge before the Court was brought by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, and wondered why EFCC applied for an adjournment of the matter.
While opposing the application for adjournment, he wondered why none of the lawyers involved alongside Oyedepo was in court for the matter to proceed.
He added that the prosecution asked for an accelerated hearing of the case.
He further told the court that Emefiele and his lawyers were coming from Lagos to attend the trial.
Burkaa, therefore, urged the court to foreclose the prosecution as there was no application from the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation for adjournment.
Justice Muazu said the Court would give the prosecution one last opportunity, having listened to both Counsel.
He added that the Court would take the necessary steps should the prosecution fail to appear in Court on the next adjourned date.
He, therefore, adjourned until October 22 for the continuation of the hearing.
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