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By Lukman Olabiyi
Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State Special Offences Court, Ikeja yesterday ordered for remand of the embattled Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele for alleged abuse of office to covet N4.5 billion and N2.8 billion to himself.
Justice Oshodi remanded Emefiele in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) custody while his co-defendant, Henry Isioma-Omoile was remanded in Ikoyi Custodial Centre where he was currently held.
Oshodi remanded the defendants, pending the determination of their bail application slated for April 11.
The judge adjourned the case until April 11 for the determination of the bail application and commencement of trial.
Earlier, EFCC had arraigned Emefiele on a 23-count charge bordering on abuse of office, accepting gratifications, corrupt demand, receiving property fraudulently obtained and conferring corrupt advantage while his co-defendant, was arraigned on a three-count charge bordering on acceptance of gift by agents.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the 26-count charge.
The EFCC Counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) asked the court for a trial date following their not guilty plea.
The counsel to the two defendants, Mr Abdulakeem Labi-Lawal had in his two bail applications urged the court to grant the defendants bail on self-recognizance and on liberal terms pending the determination on the case.
Labi-Lawal, in his 35 affidavit paragraphs, said that the first defendant (Emefiele) had complied with the bail application which was given to him by Justice Hamza Muazu in his ongoing alleged fraud trial in Abuja.
He added that the charges filed against the first defendant were bailable offences and not a capital one.
According to him: “Though the first defendant was granted administrative bail by the prosecuting authority.
“He is seeking bail based on self-recognizance and he is ready to attend trial.
“The court should also take into consideration, the status of the first defendant as he was the former CBN governor of the country.”
The defence counsel further said that his client had religiously presented himself before Justice Hamza Muazu in Abuja to answer the allegations before him.
According to him, the first defendant was not at flight risk as he was the first person to arrive in court.
He also prayed the court to grant bail to Emefiele on liberal terms
Labi-Lawal also moved bail application for the second defendant and urged the court to grant him bail on liberal terms.
The prosecution, however, did not oppose the bail application moved by the defence counsel.
Oyedepo, however, urged the court to exercise its discretion judiciously in granting bail to the defendants.
EFCC in one of the charges, alleged that Emefiele abused the authority of his office as CBN governor by allocating foreign exchange in the aggregate sum of 2.2 billion US dollars without bids, the act which was prejudiced to the rights of Nigerians.
The commission also accused Emefiele of receiving the sum of $400,000 from Source Computer Ltd on account of the approval of a “contract” in favour of the said company by CBN, the institution wherein he served as the governor.
The anti-graft also alleged that Emefiele used his position as the governor of CBN to confer a corrupt advance on his associate, Limelight Multidimensional Services Ltd by approving payment of the aggregate sum of N900 million to the said company.
Emefiele was also alleged to have used his position as the CBN governor to confer a corrupt advantage on Comec Support Services Ltd by approving the sum of N149 million to the company.
EFCC also alleged the former CBN governor used his position to confer a corrupt advantage on Andswin Resources and Solutions Ltd by approving payment of the sum of N398 million to the company.
The commission also accused Emefiele’s co-defendant (Isioma-Omoile) of having given the sum of $100,000 to the governor as a gift reward for the allocation of foreign exchange.
According to the prosecution, the alleged offences violate Sections 8, 10, and 19 of the Corrupt Practices And Other Related Offences
Act 2000, Sections 65, 73, and 328 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2011.
Meanwhile, Oyedepo also informed the court that the prosecution would be asking for a closed section for some of its witnesses who were willing to come to court to testify but were scared for their lives.
