Suspects confessed to $6.23m fraud in Emefiele trial – Witness

A prosecution witness has told a federal capital territory high court that some suspects admitted involvement in the alleged fraudulent withdrawal of $6.23 million linked to Godwin Emefiele, former Central Bank Governor. 

The witness, Eloho Edwin Okpoziakpo, a commissioner of police with the Special Fraud Unit, testified before Justice Hamza Muazu at the Maitama Division of the court during the ongoing trial involving Emefiele on a 20-count charge bordering on corruption, abuse of office, and money laundering.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had accused the former CBN governor of conferring corrupt advantages on two firms, April 1616 Nigeria Ltd and Architekon Nigeria Ltd.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, the witness, Eloho Edwin Okpoziakpo, a Commissioner of Police with the Special Fraud Unit, Lagos, told the court that he was part of a team deployed to assist the special investigator, Jim Obaze, appointed by President Bola Tinubu to probe the CBN and other government entities.

It had been reported that the court had summoned both Okpoziakpo and Obaze to testify in the ongoing tial.

The witness said his role involved taking statements, interrogating suspects, and providing intelligence to support the investigation.

Led in evidence by Rotimi Oyedepo, the prosecuting counsel, he said intelligence reports indicated that $6.23m was fraudulently withdrawn from the CBN Abuja branch with the defendant’s approval.

He said the team subsequently interrogated Emefiele and other suspects.

He stated, “Investigation revealed that the money was fraudulently taken because some of the suspects, including Maishanu, who we investigated, confessed.

“The Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation denied ever requesting money for election observers, which was claimed the money was meant for. We wrote to the Office of the secretary to the government of the federation and they responded.”

The prosecution also stated that part of the investigation involved recovering financial records from the CBN branch where the cash was disbursed in large denominations.

Emefiele, however, has pleaded not guilty to all charges, while the court adjourned the matter for continuation of hearing.