A prosecution witness, Mr. Stephen Gana, testified on Monday before an Abuja High Court, disclosing that two companies linked to former Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Governor, Godwin Emefiele, received favorable treatment in vehicle procurement contracts.
This testimony comes amid ongoing allegations of procurement fraud leveled against Emefiele by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Gana, the former Head of Procurement at the CBN, told the court that Emefiele’s companies, April 1616 Nigeria Ltd and Architekon Nigeria Ltd, were awarded contracts under circumstances that raised questions of fairness. Specifically, the witness said that Toyota vehicles, including two Toyota Hilux units, were acquired by the CBN through selective bidding processes from April 1616 Company Ltd at a cost of N99.9 million.
During his testimony, Gana confirmed that these contracts were awarded in line with CBN’s procurement practices. He explained that the bank used both direct procurement and selective bidding depending on the approval of the Director of Procurement and the relevant team, which included the Deputy Director, Head of Procurement (Gana himself), and a procurement officer.
In this case, Gana disclosed that April 1616 Nigeria Ltd was granted the vehicle contracts based on their lowest bid and compliance with CBN’s internal estimates.
READ ALSO :Former CBN employee testifies against Ex-Governor Emefiele in Court
The EFCC alleges that Emefiele used his position to give his companies undue advantages in the bidding process. Furthermore, Emefiele is facing multiple charges, including criminal breach of trust, forgery, and conspiracy to obtain by false pretenses, as well as accusations of forging documents related to foreign election observers.
As the case unfolded, the EFCC’s lead counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo SAN, requested an adjournment due to a conflicting appearance in a Supreme Court case. The defense, represented by Matthew Burkaa, did not object to the request but raised concerns over the financial strain on logistics caused by frequent delays. Justice Hamza Muazu granted the adjournment, setting the next hearing for November 13.
The defense also opposed the EFCC’s amended proof of evidence, arguing against the introduction of two new witnesses, claiming that they were not listed in the original charge. The court will decide on this matter in the upcoming hearing.
Emefiele’s legal battle continues as the former apex bank boss faces significant allegations involving criminal breach of trust, fraudulent practices, and corruption.
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