Ogau Onyeka Michael, a senior official of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has explained why he paid $6,230,000 in cash for international election observers in last year’s general election.
Michael, who is the First Prosecution Witness (PW1) in the ongoing trial of former CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, explained while testifying in court recently.
Emefiele is standing trial before Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, on 20-count amended charges which border on corrupt advantages, conspiracy, and criminal breach of trust, forgery and obtaining by false pretences to the tune of $6,230,000.
Michael led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), at the resumed trial, identified the documents presented to him by the prosecution and added that he worked on the documents.
He said on January 8, 2023, a request to pay the sum of $6,230,000 came to his office and that documents for the disbursement of the money were approved by Emefiele in cash for international election observers
He said: “My Lord, all requests for payments are usually channelled to the branch controller and that is my office. And on that day, my Lord, the request to my office was $6,230,000 and my attention was drawn towards it by my office assistant.
“It came from the banking services department and the memo carried the signature of the Director, Banking Services, with an instruction to the branch controller to pay the sum of $6,230,000 to a staff of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, bearing the name and identity card of the person.
“It stated that the payment was for election observance and be paid cash in a naira equivalent of the said amount. It further stated that the money should be refunded in the second quarter of 2023 by the Federal Ministry of Finance. My Lord, the document also stated that.
‘Find attached the approval of the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria for the payment’.
“Also, the memo had an attached approval of the then Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and that of the then President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Having gone through the document and satisfied that it met the requirement, I then minuted it to the head of the banking services unit for processing and subsequent payment. Mr. Williams, head of banking services compiled and made the payment on April 8, 2023, and the payment was in cash. I can identify the document because it also carries my signature.”
While trying to tender all the six documents as exhibits, Oyedepo told the court that two of the documents that had the former Secretary General of the Federation (SGF) and the President’s approval were a photocopy. He sought to tender the remaining four which were original, praying that the remaining two be tendered later in the course of the trial.
Also, he asked the court for a 30-minute stand-down to go to the CBN complex and get the original copies.
Defence counsel, Mathew Bukka, SAN, objected to the prayers and argued that the case was slated for February 12 and 13.
Bukka moved that the matter be adjourned till February 13 and argued further that 30 minutes sought by Oyedepo would not be enough for the prosecution to secure the original documents from the CBN.
The matter was adjourned by Justice Muazu till February 13, 2024, for continuation of trial, after hearing their arguments.
