Court to rule in witness’ eligibility to testify against Emefiele

Justice Hamza Muazu of an Abuja High Court connected Wednesday, adjourned until Nov. 27 for ruling connected the eligibility of a witnesser of the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (OAGF) to attest successful the proceedings of the erstwhile Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele.

Emefiele is being prosecuted earlier the tribunal by the OAGF successful the lawsuit marked CR/577/2023.

He was dragged to tribunal connected an amended 20-count complaint bordering connected transgression breach of trust, conferring corrupt advantage, forgery, conspiracy to get by mendacious pretence and obtaining wealth by mendacious pretence portion helium was CBN governor.

He was alleged to have, among others, utilized his presumption arsenic CBN politician to person awarded six antithetic contracts for the proviso of antithetic vehicles to April 1616, successful which 1 Sa’adatu Ramalan Yaro, a subordinate of unit of CBN, is simply a manager and shareholder, betwixt 2018 and 2022, to the tune of N1.2 billion, among different allegations.

Emefiele, however, pleaded not blameworthy to the complaint preferred against him.

At the resumed proceeding of the case, Emefiele, done his counsel, Mathew Burkaa SAN, objected to the prosecution calling its 11th witnesser (PW11), Alvan Grumman, to attest successful the matter.

He based his statement connected the information that the witness’s sanction was included successful the further impervious of grounds dated October 15, 2024, filed by the prosecution, which the tribunal struck retired successful its ruling of March 20.

He told the tribunal that the prosecution had sought its permission to entreaty the determination to onslaught retired the further impervious of a witness.

He added done a question marked M/4626/25 that the prosecution had initiated vertical proceedings, and arsenic such, the witnesser could not attest successful the case.

According to him, it was an maltreatment of tribunal proceedings for the prosecution to instrumentality some a vertical and a horizontal attack by filing an entreaty against the court’s March 20 ruling.

Responding, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo SAN, told the tribunal that successful the defendant’s motion, which the tribunal ruled connected on March 20, did not notation Grumman but specifically was against Tommy Odama and Ifeanyi Omeke.

According to him, the witnesser had the worldly information of the lawsuit being the researcher who investigated the matter.

He subsequently urged the tribunal to garbage the defence’s objection to Grumman giving grounds successful the case.

After listening to parties’ arguments connected allowing the witnesser to attest oregon not, Justice Muazu adjourned until Nov. 27 to regularisation connected the objection and continuation of the hearing.

Earlier, Oyedepo had told the tribunal that the prosecution filed 2 abstracted applications for the subpoena of 2 witnesses to attest earlier the court.

According to him, the witnesses, Tommy Odama and Ifeanyi Omeke, some had worldly facts successful custody to assistance the tribunal successful the conscionable determination of the case.

He besides assists the prosecution successful prosecuting its case.

Oyedepo said that the tribunal was yet to respond to the application.

Responding, the counsel for Emefiele urged the tribunal to garbage the applications, arguing that each parties were bound by the court’s determination successful its ruling of March 20.

He added that having proceeded connected appeal, the prosecution could nary longer travel backmost to the tribunal to question the aforesaid prayers earlier the appellate court.

He further told the tribunal that the said subpoenas were filled by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and not by the OAGF, which filed the charges against his lawsuit earlier the court.

The tribunal subsequently reserved ruling connected the applications for subpoena.

Vanguard News

The station Court to regularisation successful witness’ eligibility to attest against Emefiele appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.