An operative from the {Economic} and {Financial} Crimes Fee (EFCC), Alvan Gurumnaan, on Tuesday narrated to a Lagos State Particular Offences Courtroom in Ikeja how a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, allegedly obtained $17.1 million via one among his aides, Monday Osazuwa.
Gurumnaan, the eighth prosecution witness within the ongoing trial of Emefiele and his co-defendant, Henry Omoile, claimed that the previous CBN Governor obtained the cash in a number of instalments over three years.
The EFCC investigator additionally alleged that Osazuwa was gathering the cash from a Lagos-based businessman and handing it over to Emefiele till the week earlier than his suspension from workplace.
The EFCC had arraigned Emefiele and one Herry Omoile earlier than the court docket on a 26-count cost of accepting gratification, presents via brokers, corruption, and fraudulent property receipt.
He was additionally accused of conferring a corrupt benefit on his associates opposite to the Corrupt Practices Act 2000.
The defendants, nonetheless, pleaded not responsible to the cost.
Whereas being led in proof by the EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), Gurumnaan advised Justice Rahman Oshodi that Osazuwa, who carried out each private and official errands for Emefiele, revealed particulars concerning the $17,100,000 he collected on Emefiele’s behalf when he was interviewed on the EFCC’s workplace.
LEADERSHIP recalled that Osazuwa had earlier testified as the primary prosecution witness on this trial.
The witness testified that after the anti-graft company invited Osazuwa to query him, he advised investigators that he first met Emefiele when he was the Managing Director of Zenith Bank in 2014.
Gurumnaan additionally said that Osazuwa knowledgeable the fee he had run numerous errands for Emefiele, together with a private errand the place Emefiele requested him to contact an individual named Mohit in London.
He additional claimed that between September 2020 and June 2023, Osazuwa obtained $17,100,000 in money on Emefiele’s behalf.
The witness said, “Upon receipt, Osazuwa delivered the cash to Emefiele’s residence in Ikoyi, passing it on to co-defendant Henry Omoile as instructed by Emefiele. Most of those transactions occurred on Fridays over the three years.”
The witness additionally talked about that they interviewed the businessman, who confirmed that he gave Osazuwa $17,100,000 from 2020 to 2023 for supply to Emefiele.
The EFCC operatives mentioned that they collected his cellphone and carried out an evaluation, discovering WhatsApp messages that corroborated the knowledge.
Gurumnaan, an EFCC operative, additionally knowledgeable Justice Oshodi that the fee had obtained a number of intelligence stories concerning abuse of workplace and soliciting funds allegedly involving Emefiele.
Gurumnaan additionally revealed that they’d despatched a number of letters to the CBN and invited officers from numerous departments for questioning.
The witness additional advised the choose they’d collected paperwork associated to the circumstances and investigated related personnel, though some have been delayed or launched on bail.
He famous that people who labored immediately with Emefiele, together with Osazuwa, John Adetola, and John Ogah, have been additionally invited for questioning.
Gurumnaan claimed that one among Emefiele’s aides, Eric Udoh, didn’t reply to summons issued towards him and that regardless of efforts to find him, together with contacting Interpol and issuing a pink discover, he stays unaccounted for and is needed internationally. Justice Oshodi has adjourned the case to October 7 to proceed the trial.
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