A high court of the federal capital territory (FCT) in Maitama has dismissed an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking to file additional proof of evidence in the ongoing trial of Godwin Emefiele, former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

 

In the application filed on October 15, 2024, the EFCC also sought the court’s permission to produce two more witnesses whose names were given as Tommy Odama John and Ifeanyi Omeke.

 

The court processes revealed that the proposed witnesses made extrajudicial statements in August 2024, while the charge was filed on August 14, 2023.

 

Delivering a ruling on Thursday, Hamza Mu’azu, the presiding judge, upheld the objection filed by the defendant.

 

Mu’azu noted that the EFCC had filed additional proof of evidence against the defendant on February 12, 2024.

 

The said additional evidence accommodated the testimony of Boss Mustapha, the former secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), as well as that of one Bamayi Mairiga.

 

The judge held that filing another additional proof of evidence is an attempt to ambush the defendant and deny his right to a fair hearing.

 

He held that the law makes it clear that an investigation must have been completed and a prima facie case established before a charge is preferred against a defendant.

 

However, the judge declined Emefiele’s plea for the charge against him to be struck out on the grounds of incomplete investigation and a speculative case.

 

According to the judge, the charge could not be struck out since the defendant and the prosecution had already joined issues with each other and the trial was almost completed.

 

Meanwhile, the court adjourned the case to June 3 for further hearing.

 

Emefiele is standing trial over allegations of complicity in procurement fraud totaling about N1.2 billion.

 

The anti-graft agency alleged that the former CBN governor illegally awarded contracts for the purchase of 43 vehicles between 2018 and 2020 worth N1.2 billion.

 

He was further accused of giving a corrupt advantage to one Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro by awarding her a contract for the procurement of 37 Toyota Hilux vehicles valued at N854 million.