A SPECIAL investigator appointed by President Bola Tinubu, Jim Obazee, has recommended the posthumous prosecution of late President Muhammadu Buhari and the trial of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha.
Obazee, the 15th Prosecution Witness in the trial of former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, told an Abuja High Court that Mustapha must be in court to answer for the alleged $6.23million CBN Loot.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged Emefiele with criminal breach of trust, forgery, abuse of office, conspiracy to obtain by false pretence and obtaining money by false pretence while serving as the apex bank’s governor.
Emefiele is alleged to have knowingly obtained, by false pretences, the sum of $6.2million meant for international election observers for the 2023 general election, as well as conferring corrupt advantages on two companies, April 1616 Nigeria Limited and Architekon Nigeria Limited.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), Obazee said: “The situation in Nigeria is a very unfortunate one, especially for the Federal Government to have put only Emefiele on trial in an alleged fraud that involved more than 10 people.”
The witness dismissed the denials of involvement in the fraud by the Presidency and the former SGF, demanding in open court that Mustapha be brought into the dock alongside Emefiele, as well as the prosecution of the Abuja branch manager of the bank, saying the looted funds were released to suspected criminals without due diligence.
Obazee stated that by the CBN Act, the N2.8billion naira equivalent of $6.2million ought to have been deposited before it was officially released.
Besides, Buhari, Mustapha and Emefiele, he demanded that the court ordered the arrest and prosecution of Jibril Abubakar, who was alleged to have collected the funds purportedly on the authority of the SGF’s office.
Obazee added that Bashirudeen Maishanu, a current staff of the CBN, who claimed to be one of those who stole the money and refunded $856,500 to the special investigation panel, should also be charged.
According to him: “For actions and inactions, Buhari ought to be charged and must be charged along with Emefiele in this fraud, even if posthumously, since national honours are given posthumously.
“As for Mustapha, as far as I am concerned, he did deny to me that he did not sign the documents from his office, which initiated the request for the $6.2million and led to the release of the amount to a person who claimed to be a staff of his office.
“Whatever you are doing to Emefiele by way of prosecution ought to have been done to Buhari, Mustapha, Maishanu and former Board members of the CBN under Emefiele
“If all of them are prosecuted, it will serve as a deterrent and problems of Nigeria will be reduced and eliminated by 50 per cent.”
Obazee expressed the hope that all of them would be lined up in this dock with Emefiele, including Maishanu, “who returned to me $856,500.”
Under cross-examination by Emefiele’s Counsel, Mathew Burka (SAN), Obazee told the court that he did not recover any money from Emefiele, but said that by presumption, Emefiele is supposed to know about the alleged fraud if the CCTV and BVN portal at the apex bank’s Abuja branch office had been used before the money was released to the looters.
He added that the disappearance of the money should have been detected in the CBN’s yearly financial statement if all those in charge had been diligent.
Obazee explained that the President invited him on December 19, 2023, to prepare charges against the defendant in the $6.2million loot.
Oyedepo told the court that the prosecution was closing its case with the PW 15th, while Burkaa said he was going to file a no-case submission.
Justice Hamza Muazu thereafter adjourned until October 20 for adoption of addresses.
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