The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday tendered newspaper publications on the Naira redesign allegations against the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr Godwin Emefiele, in his trial over alleged disobedience to the direction of law and causing injury to the nation.
The newspaper publications are meant to serve as exhibits at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, where the anti-graft agency put him on trial over the Naira redesign allegations.
The EFCC tendered the documents through a subpoenaed witness, Jegede Oluwasegun, an official of the National Library of Nigeria.
Emefiele is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a four-count charge bordering on disobedience to the direction of law and illegal acts causing injury to the public.
In the charge, marked CR/264/2024, Emefiele was, among others, alleged to have, between October 19, 2022 and March 5, 2023, disobeyed the provisions of Section 19 of the CBN Act by approving the printing of 375,520,000 pieces of colour-swapped N1,000 notes at a total cost of N11,052,068,062 without the recommendation of the CBN Board and the strict approval of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, thereby causing injury to the public.
The offences allegedly committed by him, according to the EFCC, were contrary to Section 123 of the Penal Code, Cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990, and punishable under the same law.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
At the resumed hearing in the case, the witness was led in evidence by Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, counsel for the prosecution.
The witness, who is the prosecution witness 8 (PW8), explained his official duties to the court.
Oyedepo later tendered copies of Punch, ThisDay, Vanguard, Daily Sun, and The Nation newspapers, alongside certification receipts from the National Library, as evidence.
Counsel to the defendant, Olalekan Ojo, SAN, did not object, and the court admitted them and marked them as exhibits.
While being cross-examined by Emefiele’s counsel, Ojo, the witness admitted that he did not author the contents of the newspapers.
“What I do is to certify the newspapers. I cannot 100 per cent say the content of the papers is right. I am not the author,” the witness told the court.
Ojo then referred to the ThisDay publication of January 31, 2023, and its certification, which the witness confirmed. Ojo subsequently tendered it in evidence.
The prosecution did not object to the document, prompting the court to admit it in evidence and mark it as an exhibit.
Justice Maryanne Anenih thereafter adjourned further trial till May 12.
