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From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The scheduled arraignment of the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele on charges of alleged N6.9 billion procurement fraud was on Thursday stalled at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja due to the absence of his co-defendant.
Although Emefiele was brought to court by operatives of the Department of State Security Services(DSS), his co-defendant, Sa’adatu Ramalan-Yaro, was said to be absent from court because of ill health.
The suspended CBN governor was already in the dock and set for his arraignment when the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Mohammed Abubakar, informed the court that Mrs Ramallan-Yaro “is indisposed to be in court”.
He added that he was only informed of the woman’s condition Thursday morning.
Consequently, the prosecution counsel asked for an adjournment to enable the prosecution to present the defendants for arraignment.
In his response to the request by the prosecution, counsel to Emefiele, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), requested to have a brief audience with his client, which was not opposed by the DPP.
“I must commend the DPP for his professional handling of this matter so far,” Mr Kehinde told the judge.
On his part, Mrs Ramalan-Yaro’s counsel, Abdulhakeem Labi-Lawal, also consented to the request for an adjournment.
Labi-Lawal however, informed the court of a pending bail application for Mrs Ramalan-Yaro.
In his short ruling, Justice Hamza Muazu said the bail application would be taken after the defendants’ arraignment.
He accordingly adjourned the suit until 23 August for arraignment.
Meanwhile, a mild drama played out inside the courtroom, Emefiele who was smuggled into court by operatives of the DSS, was busy evading the cameras with the support of the security operatives and some lawyers.
Photo journalists had a hectic day in court in their efforts to caputre him in their cameras.
In the fresh charge, Emefiele was charged alongside Mrs Ramalan-Yaro, and her company, April 1616 Investment Limited on allegations of conspiracy and procurement fraud involving as much as N6.9 billion.
The charges alleged that Mr Emefiele conferred corrupt advantages on Ms Ramalan-Yaro, using her firm, April 1616 Investment Limited.
The government alleged that the defendants perpetrated procurement fraud through the award of contracts to Mrs Ramalan-Yaro’s company for the supply of cars.
Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000, under which he was charged, provides a five-year jail sentence upon conviction.
“Any public officer who uses his office or position to gratify or confer any corrupt or unfair advantage upon himself or any relation or associate of the public officer or any other public officer shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to imprisonment for five years without an option of fine,” the law stipulates.
In count one, Mr Emefiele was said to have “sometime in 2018 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did use your position as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff member of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarding a contract for the supply of 37 (Nos.) Toyota Hilux Vehicles at the cost of N854,700,000 only to April 1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which she is a director and thereby committed an offence.”
In another count, the suspended CBN chief, Ms Yaro and her company “sometime in 2019 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did conspire amongst yourselves to use the office of Mr. Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarding a contract for the supply of 1 (No.) Toyota Landcruiser V8 at the cost of N73,800,000 only to April 1616 Investment Ltd.
Acording to count 10, “Ms Yaro, sometime in 2018 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court while being employed at the CBN knowingly held directly a private interest as director in April1616 Investment Ltd., in a contract awarded to the said company, for the supply of 47 Toyota Hilux vehicles at the cost of N1,085, 700,000 and thereby committed an offence.’’
Count 11 says: “That you, Sa’adatu Rammala Yaro, female, adult, sometime in 2018 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court while being employed at the CBN knowingly held directly a private interest as director in April1616 Investment Ltd., in a contract awarded to the said company, emanating from the CBN where you are employed, for the supply of 10 Mercedes Benz armoured buses at the cost of N2,222, 500,00 and thereby committed an offence.’’
