A former governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, on Tuesday prayed a an Abuja High Court to foreclose the prosecution in his ongoing trial over alleged procurement fraud.
Emefiele is standing trial before 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.
The federal government charged Emefiele with criminal breach of trust, conferring corrupt advantage, forgery, conspiracy to obtain by false pretence and obtaining money by false pretence while he was CBN governor.
He was alleged to have used his position as CBN governor to award six different contracts for the supply of different vehicles to April 1616 in which one Sa’adatu Ramalan Yaro, a member of staff of CBN is a director and shareholder, between 2018 and 2022 to the tune of N1,210,600,000, among others allegations.
Emefiele, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
At the resumed hearing of the case , Emefiele’s counsel, Mathew Burkaa SAN, urged the court to foreclose the prosecution .
The request, he said, 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 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 Registrar of the court on Monday through a WhatsApp message that there was a letter seeking adjournment by the prosecution.
He told the court that the application he was shown in the court, was sent by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to him, the charge before the court was brought by the Office of Attorney-General of Federation and wondered why EFCC applied for adjournment of the matter.
While opposing the application for adjournment, he wondered while any of the lawyers involved alongside the Oyedepo could not be in court for the matter to go.
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.
After listening to the counsel Justice Muazu said the court would give the prosecution one last opportunity.
He added that the court would do the needful should the prosecution fail to appear in court at the next adjourned date.
He,therefore, adjourned until Oct 22 for continuation of hearing.
