$6.2m fraud: Ex-SGF accuses Emefiele of forgery
$6.2m fraud: Ex-SGF accuses Emefiele of forgery
The ongoing trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele took a new turn as the former Secretary of the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, has accused the former CBN boss of forging the signature of former President Muhammadu Buhari to withdraw $6.2 million from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Narrating the incident when he appeared on Tuesday, February 13, as a prosecution witness in the ongoing fraud trial of the immediate-past CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, Mustapha said, “All through my service year as the SGF, I never came across these documents it was claimed that Buhari signed. From the face value of this document, having served for five years and seven months as SGF, this document did not emanate from the president for the following reasons.
“A correspondence that has the seal of the Nigerian president does not carry a reference number. The seal is the authority.
“Secondly, I have looked at it and read that FEC decisions are not transmitted by letters. They are transmitted through extracts after conclusions are adopted.
“Thirdly, I am the custodian of FEC, the president will not refer executives’ conclusions to me.
“Also, in all the five years and seven months, I have never heard of the terms special appropriation provision referred to. The terms known to me, my lord, are appropriation as provided by the appropriation act normally passed by the national assembly and when the government files drafts it brings supplementary appropriation.
“In all the correspondence I have received from Buhari, it has never had ‘please accept the assurance of my highest regard.’ I am his subordinate, my correspondences do not carry that.
“And lastly, looking at the signature, it is a failed attempt at reproducing Buhari’s signature. I will leave that to the experts.”
Recall that the First Prosecution Witness, PW1, in the ongoing trial of former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele, Ogau Onyeka Michael has narrated how the former CBN Governor approved the payment of $6,230,000 (Six Million, Two Hundred and Thirty Thousand Dollars) in cash for international election observers in the 2023 general elections.
The witness told Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, Maitama, Abuja on Monday while testifying at the ongoing trial of Emefiele.
The former CBN boss is standing trial before Justice Muazu on 20-count amended charges bordering on corrupt advantages, conspiracy, and criminal breach of trust, forgery and obtaining by false pretences to the tune of $6,230,000.00 (Six Million, Two Hundred and Thirty Thousand United States Dollar).
