Jonathan Nwokpor
Judge Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja continued to hear testimony in the trial of former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, or CBN, Godwin Emefiele, on Thursday.
Emefiele is on trial before Justice Muazu on 20-count amended charges bordering on corrupt advantages, conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, forgery, and collecting $6,230,000 under false pretenses.
A document used to solicit the payment of $6.2 million for foreign election observers was forged, according to a forensic analyst who testified at the hearing’s reopening.
Bamaiyi Meriga, a witness called by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), told the court that a forensic examination of the contested documents revealed blatant evidence of signature forgery and that the execution seal was not the original.
Additionally, he attested that the signatures belonged to someone other than the former president Muhammadu Buhari or Boss Mustapha, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Justice Muazu, the trial court, allowed two documents, including the presidential directive on foreign observers, into evidence.
The witness claimed, on cross-examination by Emefiele’s counsel, that he was not an employee of the EFCC and that the anti-graft organization did not pay him but rather that the Nigeria Immigration Service was the source of his income.
Matthew Burkaa, the attorney for Emefiele, expressed his disgust with the witness’s behavior, claiming that the witness deceived the court by dodging questions.
However, the assertions presented by the defense counsel did not satisfy the Prosecution Counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo.
The trial has been postponed until March 11 to continue.
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