Emefiele asked the court to close the trial for alleged procurement fraud

A former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, on Tuesday urged the High Court of the Federal Capital Region (FCT) to close his trial for alleged procurement fraud.

The federal government charged a former Governor of CBN on charges of 20 procurement fraud calculations.

In the accusations submitted by the Office of the Attorney General Federation, the Federal Government demanded Emefiele with violations of criminal trust, providing corrupt benefits, counterfeiting, conspiracy to be obtained with false pretense and earning money with false pretense during his term of office.

The government accused that the defendant used his position as Governor of CBN to provide six different contracts for different vehicle supplies until April 1616, where a forecast Yaro Sa’adatu, a CBN staff member, was a director and shareholder, between 2018 and 2022.

However, Emefiele claimed to be innocent for the accusation.

Also read: EFCC New Criminal Allegations Files against Emefiele

At the continued case hearing, legal counsel, Mathew Burkaa (San), urged the court to confiscate prosecution.

The request, he said, was due to the failure of prosecution to be present in court, after knowing the postponed date.

Burkas told the court that the problem was scheduled to continue the trial, but the legal counsel, Rotimi Oysepo (San), was not in court and did not send representatives.

Legal advisors added that he was told by the court clerk on Monday via WhatsApp message that there was a letter seeking a delay by the prosecution.

He told the court that the application he showed in court was sent by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).

According to him, the accusation before the court was brought by the Office of the Attorney General Federation, and he wondered why EFCC submitted a request for the postponement of the problem.

After listening to the legal counsel, judge Hamza Muazu said the court would prosecute the last chance.

He added that the court would do what was needed if the prosecution failed to appear in court on the next postponed date.

Therefore, he postponed this case until October 22 for the continuation of the trial.