By Ezekiel Awojide, Abuja
A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has fixed 10 days for the conclusion of trial in the corruption charges filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, over the redesign of the naira.
Justice Maryann Anenih fixed the 10 days on Wednesday following the consensus by the counsel to the EFCC, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, and that of Emefiele, Mr Olalekan Ojo, SAN.
The fixed dates are February 3 and 10, April 1 and 2, May 11, 12, 13, and 14 as well as June 9 and 10 during which the trial, which started in 2024, is expected to be concluded.
Justice Anenih charged lawyers on both sides to keep faith with the appointed dates assuring that the court would accommodate them appropriately during the period.
At Wednesday’s proceedings, a witness of the anti-graft agency, Mr Emere Chinedu, an operative of EFCC, admitted that the Presidency under President Muhammadu Buhari in a letter to EFCC admitted granting approval to Emefiele to redesign the Naira Notes.
He however said that the Presidency’s letter to EFCC in response to the enquiry was that printing of the new notes should be done locally as opposed to the printing done outside Nigeria by the former governor of the CBN.
Chinedu who headed the Inter Agency Probe Panel that investigated the former boss of the CBN said that Emefiele in the course of facing the panel made six separate extrajudicial statements to present his defense.
According to him, the statements were made on October 26, 27, 30, and 31 as well as November 1st and 2nd 2023.
“In the course of our job, we extended our investigation into the State House for the record of approval for Naira Redesign. The response of the State House was communicated to the EFCC in writing.
” The State House gave approval for the Naira Redesign but with a proviso that it must be done locally “, the witness said.
The EFCC witness who was cross-examined by counsel to Emefiele, Olalekan Ojo SAN declined answer the claims of Emefiele in one of his statements that Abdulrasheed Bawa, a former Executive Chairman of EFCC was the first person to suggest naira redesign to President Muhammadu Buhari.
Rather, the witness said that EFCC has no power to propose a change in the colour of the naira adding that anything done in that regard must be advisory.
On the series of video clips from various television stations in the country where Nigerians complained of hardships and tendered by EFCC, he admitted that videos had been in existence before his probe panel was put in place by the federal government.
According to him, the videos of news and programmes of the television stations were downloaded from the internet by his probe panel and tendered to show injuries Nigerians suffered during the naira redesign.
He claimed not to know any staff of the television stations who prepared the contents of the videos and did not interview any person from any of the television stations.
Emefiele is being prosecuted in the charge marked FTC/HC/CR/264/2024 by EFCC and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Meanwhile, further cross-examination of the witness by Emefiele has been shifted to February 3 by Justice Maryann Anenih.
