First Prosecution Witness, Ogau Michael, involved in the ongoing trial of former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN) Godwin Emefiele, said the erstwhile boss of the apex bank approved the payment of $6,230,000 in cash for international observers in the last 2023 general election.
Michael, a former branch controller of the CBN, Abuja branch, revealed this on Monday, February 12, 2024, while testifying at the ongoing trial of Emefiele before Justice Hamza Muazu of the Abuja High Court, Abuja.
Emefiele is standing trial on 20-count amended charges bordering on corrupt advantages, conspiracy, and criminal breach of trust, forgery and obtaining by false pretences to the tune of $6,230,000.00.
At the resumed trial on Monday, Michael, identified the documents presented to him by the prosecution adding that he worked on the documents.
He said on January 8, 2023, a request for payment in the sum of $6,230,000 came to his office and documents for the disbursement of the money were approved by Emefiele in cash for international election observers.
“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.”
Michael explained that it came from the banking services department and the memo carried the signature of the Director, Banking Services.
He said an instruction was given 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.”
The witness added that the document also stated that, ‘find attached the approval of the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria for the payment’.
