An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) witness, Salawu Gana, told the Abuja High Court on Monday that the contract awards for vehicles purchased by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) passed the due process of procurement laws.
Mr Gana, who testified as the 10th witness (PW 10), admitted that quotations for the supply of the vehicles were received from three companies, namely, RK Briscoe, Globe Motors, and April 1616.
The witness said the procurement department in CBN, after evaluating the quotations, vetted what was submitted, after which April 1616 was recommended for the contract.
Under cross-examination by the lead counsel to the defendant, Matthew Burkaa (SAN), the witness said the defendant subsequently approved the contract award to the winner (April 1616).
He admitted that the vehicles were supplied, after which the company (April 1616) was paid upon the defendant’s approval.
The witness, who claimed to be the head of the procurement unit during the award of the contract, said the defendant was not a member of the CBN tenders board.
He also admitted that none of the procurement officers who recommended April 1616 for the award, including himself, have been put on trial by the anti-graft agency.
In answer to another question, Mr Gana said that he had not come across any document or evidence showing that money had been paid from an April 1616 bank account to the defendant.
He added that from the registration certificate of the contract winner (April 1616), Mr Emefiele was not a director, shareholder, or signatory to the company’s account.
Responding to another question, the witness told the court that Mr Emefiele did not direct or influence him through phone calls or SMS messages to favour April 1616 in the procurement recommendation.
He said further that he was not reporting directly to Mr Emefiele but to Ekenami Akpan, who was his direct boss.
Earlier, EFCC counsel Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) tendered exhibits relating to the award of 45 contracts for the supply of vehicles to the CBN by April 1616, RK Briscoe and Globe Motors.
The witness told the court that April 1616 got the contract award because the company’s bid was the lowest among the three bidders.
Meanwhile, Mr Emefiele, through his counsel, Matthew Burka, has applied to the court to prohibit EFCC from calling additional witnesses after the already-listed 10 have testified.
Mr Burkaa, while moving the application, argued that the anti-graft agency had tendered all necessary documents relating to the charge against his client and that permitting them to go for additional witnesses would overreach the court.
The application was, however, opposed by the EFCC on the grounds that its right to a fair hearing would be breached.
He, therefore, pleaded with the court to reject the application in the interest of justice.
Meanwhile, Justice Hamza Muazu adjourned the matter until March 20 for a ruling on the application.
The EFCC charged Mr Emefiele with 20 amended charges of criminal breach of trust, forgery, conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, and obtaining money by false pretence when he served as the apex bank’s boss.
The EFCC alleged that the former CBN boss forged a document titled Re: Presidential Directive on Foreign Election Observer Missions dated January 26, 2023, with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/201 and purported the same to have emanated from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (AGF).
He is also accused of using his office as CBN governor to confer unfair and corrupt advantage on two companies, April 1616 Nigeria Ltd. and Architekon Nigeria Ltd., in the suit marked FCT/HC/CR/577/2023.
(NAN)
