Justice Maryanne Anenih of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), High Court Abuja has granted a request by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to allow its two additional witnesses to give evidence virtually in the charges against former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele.
The two witnesses said to be in the United Kingdom were permitted by justice Anenih, at a hearing on Thursday, to testify digitally, at a date to be fixed.
At Thursday’s proceedings, EFCC’s lead counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, had informed the court of his intention to call to additional witnesses that would testify in the trial of Emefiele and establish charges against him.
The senior lawyer, also stated that he had filed additional proof of evidence that would be placed before the court to substantiate the charges.
Emefiele’s lead counsel, Mr Olalekan Ojo, SAN, objected to the new move by the anti-graft agency to make the request informally arguing that FCT High Court, being a court of record, the EFCC ought to file a formal application stating clearly names of the two witnesses, what they intend to say in court and reasons for their preference to give evidence virtually.
Ojo’s attention was however drawn to the application for additional proof of evidence where the names of the two witnesses were mentioned and reasons for adoption of virtual evidence were given.
Justice Anenih subsequently granted the request permitting the anti-graft agency to conduct its trial of Emefiele in respect of the two witnesses virtually.
Also at the proceedings, a witness of the EFCC, Mr Chinedu Eneanya, who claimed to have participated in the investigation on allegations against Emefiele on the Naira redesign narrated how the complaint against Emefiele was referred to his team.
He said that in the course of investigation his team invited four Deputy Governors of the CBN, who served under Emefiele namely; Adesonubi Folasodun, Adamu Edward, Kingsley Obiora and Mrs Aisha Ahmed, who volunteered statements to the agency on their involvement in the Naira redesign.
The witness later identified and tendered the statements of the deputy governors made on different days.
He also tendered a statement obtained from one Ahmed Halilu, a former Managing Director of the Nigeria Security, Minting and Printing Company.
The extra judicial statements were admitted by Justice Anenih following no objections to that effect.
In his evidence, the witness told the court how on October 6, 2022, Emefiele authored a memo to former President Muhammadu Buhari seeking approval to redesign the Naira notes comprising N1,000; N500; N200 and N100.
In the 11 page memo, Eneanya said that specimen of the proposed redesign were attached and that Buhari gave immediate approval with a condition that production of the new notes must be done locally.
However, the witness said that other specimen were produced by the defendant on the grounds that the minting company could not cope with the production of the initial specimens within the time frame approved for the exercise.
He said that Emefiele and the Managing Director of Nigeria Security Minting and Printing Company, Mr Ahmed Halilu worked on the presidential approval and opted for colour- swapping as the only visible alternative to deliver within the timeframe.
Besides, the witness also claimed that a United Kingdom based company; De La Rue was involved in the colour redesign and got paid to the tune of £205,000 for the consultancy services.
Answering a question from EFCC’s lawyer, the witness alleged that Emefiele breached presidential directive by departing from the originally approved colour and for allegedly involving a foreign company in the production of the redesign.
Meanwhile, the matter has been adjourned to April 29, for continuation of the evidence of the witness.
