Eric Ocheme, who has been at large, to commit forgery.
It added, “That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele male, adult, and Odoh, Eric Ocheme (still at large) sometime in January 2023 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court agreed amongst yourselves to cause to be done an illegal act to wit: forgery of a document titled: RE: PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE ON FOREIGN ELECTION OBSERVER MISSIONS dated 26 January 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/201 and you thereby committed an offence.”
Emefiele was also accused of conferring corrupt advantage on his wife, Omoile Margret, and brother-in-law, Omoile Macombo, by awarding a contract for the renovation of a portion of the CBN Governor’s residence in Ikoyi, Lagos to the tune of N99.8m.
The offence according to the government, contravenes Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
The charge read, “That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in March 2020 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did use your position as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to confer a corrupt advantage on your wife, Omoile Margret, and brother-in-law, Omoile Macombo, by awarding a contract for the external renovation of the CBN Governor’s residence lying, being and situate at No. 2 Glover Road, Ikoyi, Lagos in the sum of N99,826,452.47 to Messrs. Architekon Nigeria Limited, a company wherein the duo are directors and majority shareholders and you thereby committed an offence.”
The trial judge, Hamza Muazu, adjourned the case to February 12 and 13, 2024 for the commencement of trial.
Addressing journalists shortly after the case was adjourned, Emefiele’s Mathew Bukka, thanked trial judge, Justice Muazu for allowing the the ex-CBN boss to enjoy his bail ahead of the commencement of trial, stressing that his client would return to face trial on the amended charge.
“As a legal practitioner, I think the best thing to happen in a system is when you have compliance with the rule of law. What we have is a situation in which the state, particularly the Ministry of Justice, feels that they want to put more counts in the charge. They are entitled by law to do that.
“So, what they have done is to amend the charge and add more counts. For us, it is within their powers to do that. We are coming back on the 12 and 13 of February to proceed with the trial,” he said.
On what became of the old charge, Bukka noted that “The extant charge is the new charge upon which plea has been taken and this is what we will be dealing with.”
Source: Punch
