Emefiele trial: witness says N124.86bn withdrawal was not traced to ex-CBN governor

A prosecution witness in Godwin Emefiele’s naira-redesign trial has told an Abuja court that N124.86 billion withdrawn from the Federal Government’s Consolidated Revenue Account was not traced to the former Central Bank governor’s account.

Dr Ali Mohammed, a director in the Federal Ministry of Finance’s Home Finance department, also said Emefiele was not a signatory to the account. He gave the evidence under cross-examination at the FCT High Court in Maitama on Wednesday.

The testimony is the witness’s account of the transaction and documents before the court, not a ruling clearing Emefiele of the charges. The former CBN governor has pleaded not guilty.

Mohammed was questioned by defence counsel Olalekan Ojo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. He said the letters from the Finance Ministry and the Accountant-General’s office did not identify Emefiele as a signatory or suggest that he authorised the debit, according to Daily Post and Vanguard.

The witness said he did not know the public transactions behind the withdrawal and had not been shown documents by EFCC operatives indicting Emefiele over it. He also said neither the ministry nor the Accountant-General queried the withdrawal.

Asked about a suggestion that the money was used for a Hajj subsidy on former President Muhammadu Buhari’s instruction, Mohammed said he was unaware of that. He did not confirm the suggested use of the funds.

Emefiele faces four counts concerning alleged disobedience to the direction of law and an illegal act causing injury to the public. The prosecution alleges that he approved the printing of redesigned N1,000 notes without the CBN board’s recommendation and the required presidential approval.

Justice Maryanne Anenih adjourned the case to November 26 for continuation of trial.

Sources: Daily Post, Vanguard