A prosecution witness, CP Eloho Okpozikbo on Tuesday told an Abuja High Court that $6.23 million was fraudulently taken from the coffers of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, while Godwin Emefiele was governor of the apex bank.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had charged Emefiele with criminal breach of trust, forgery, abuse of office, conspiracy to obtain by false pretence and obtaining money by false pretence.
The EFCC accused Emefiele of obtained by false pretence the sum of $6,23 million purportedly meant for international election observers for the 2023 general election.
He however, pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him.
At the resumed hearing in the case, the witness was taken in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo SAN.
Okpozikbo said: “The money was fraudulently taken because some of the suspects we interrogated confessed to that. The office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation denied ever requesting the payment.
“There was a letter from the SGF, purportedly approving a presidential directive for $6.23million for the elections observers”.
The witness who testified as the 14th prosecution witness, said he led a team of officers in the investigations that led to Emefiele’s interrogation.
Oyedepo, directed the witness to the document and asked him to disclose his findings; the defence opposed the style of the prosecution proceeding.
Emefiele’s counsel, Matthew Burkaa SAN, accused the prosecution of asking the witness to read from the documents already in court. Responding, Oyedepo said he asked the witness to explain.
Justice Hamza Muazu cautioned parties to make the best use of judicial time.
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Thereafter, the witness explained that the document was a directive “purported to have come from the then president (Muhammadu Buhari) to the SGF to release the sum.”
He said it was addressed to Emefiele as the governor of the CBN, and “the request was honored, it was treated and the money was paid.”
Also, the witness told the court how some documents were recovered from the branch of CBN (Abuja) where the money was cashed.
According to Okpoziakpo, the documents include details of the amount of money that was paid out on Feb. 8 2023 and a memo from the Director of Banking Services Department to the Bank Controller, Abuja branch.
The purpose of the memo was to gain approval and instruct the bank to pay the $6.23 million, he said.
While Oyedepo asked the witness to make some confirmations from the documents, Burkaa again objected.
He said the prosecution was providing the witness evidence despite being an Investigative Police Officer who led the investigation.
Oyedepo responded, “We take exception to the aspersion that the defence is casting on the prosecution.”
He urged the judge to refuse Burkaa’s objection and see it as a ploy to prevent the prosecution from discharging its duty.
“The witness without documentary support is merely telling tales,” he said.
Intervening in the exchange, the judge said, the witness was providing evidence but requested that the prosecution not ask details of the contents of documents already before the court.
Justice Muazu then adjourned the matter until July 2 for continuation.
NAN
