Former Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, yesterday, before a Federal Capital Territory High Court, denied a document alleged to have emanated from his office.
Mustapha submitted as a witness in the ongoing trial of the erstwhile governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, who is being tried for alleged procurement fraud.
He said the trumpeted Jubrin Abubakar, who allegedly collected the $6.2 million cash on February 8, 2023, under Emefiele’s watch was not a staff of the office of the SGF and was not known to him.
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), Mustapha denied knowledge of the transaction even after leaving office and he only learnt about it in December 2023.
When he was shown the approval document from the office of the President, Mustapha said: “On the face value of the document, I can say having served five years and seven months, this document did not emanate from the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The Federal Executive Council (FEC) decisions are not transmitted by letters. They are transmitted through extracts after conclusions are adopted.
“I am the custodian of the record of FEC, for that reason, the President cannot refer any executive conclusion to me.”
He added that the purported letters did not conform with the standard with which the Presidency and SGF write memos.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had alleged that Emefiele forged the letters to defraud the Federal Government to the tune of$6, 230, 000 under the guise of making payment to some foreign election observers.
The ex-SGF insisted that the issue of payment for either local or foreign observers is the sole responsibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and not any other federal agency.
“I am not privy to the operations of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and cannot write the governor for the attention of the Director, Banking Services,” he stated.
Meanwhile, further trial has been fixed for March 7, 11 and 25.
