Emefiele’s trial: Witness can’t confirm whether former CBN gov’s wife signed Architekon documents

BY ANDREW OROLUA

In continuation of the trial of former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele on Tuesday by the Federal Government, a prosecution witness, Abibia Ockiya- Ogeleye said she could not tell whether Emefiele’s wife signed documents of a firm, Architekon Nigeria Limited, that was linked to her.

Ockiya-Ogeleye, who is a legal practitioner and Ninth Prosecution Witness (PW9) of the Federal Government, stated this under cross examination by Emefiele’s lawyer, Mr Mathew Burkaa, SAN.

Emefiele is standing trial on an alleged 20-count amended charge, proffered against him by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF)

He was alleged to have engaged in criminal breach of trust, forgery, conspiracy to obtain by false pretense and obtaining money by false pretense, when he served as the apex bank’s boss.

Besides he is also accused of having used his office as CBN governor to confer unfair and corrupt advantage on two companies: April 1616 Nigeria Ltd and Architekon Nigeria Ltd.

While the prosecution had linked one Mrs. Saadatu Yaro, a public servant and Director in CBN to April 1616, it had linked Architekon with Emefiele’s wife, Margaret Omoyile and Emefiele’s brother-in-law, Mc Combo Omoyile.

Both April 1616 and Architekon were awarded contracts for the supply of vehicles, furniture, landscaping, provisions of dedicated power lines amongst others during Emefiele’s tenure as CBN governor.

The Federal Government by the charge claimed Emefiele conferred undue advantage on himself and the two companies by approving the award of the contracts to them.

To prove its allegations, the prosecution led by Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, on Tuesday called Ockiya-Ogeleye who claimed to have rendered some services to Architekon for quite sometimes.

She claimed that she had in times past “filed annual report, change the director and shareholders of the company”.

Adding that, sometime in 2021 one Madam Esther called to effect a change in the company by adding her as a director of the company.

The witness told the court that prior to 2021, Architekon had only two directors.

She tendered a CAC document, which contained the names of Margaret Omoyile, Mc Combo Omoyile and Esther Oyeladun Adeoun as shareholders, another document containing the record of transfer from Mc Combo to Margaret, dated March 4, 2021, as well as another document containing the resolution of the company on Esther’s admittance as a director of Architekon.

Besides, the witness presented to the court a copy of the email wherein she claimed Esther sent to her requesting that she (Esther) be added as a director to the company.

However, during cross examination by Burkaa, the witness said she was not there when both Margaret and Mc Combo executed any of the documents she tendered before the court.

When confronted with her statement wherein she claimed that a resolution was passed by Mc Combo and Margaret because their signatures were on the documents, the witness said, “I can’t tell the court whether they were at the meeting and signed the resolution”.

“Does that apply to documents sent to you on every Architekon documents?

Witness: Yes.

“Are you aware that Margaret was not in the country?

Witness: Yes.

Burkaa further confronted the witness with her statement wherein she alleged that Esther had told her that Margaret was not in the country.

“Was Margaret copied in that email?

Witness: The only name on the mail is one Chioma.

“Do you know where Margaret is?

Witness: No, I don’t even know her.

She admitted that all the instructions she took were from Esther.

Earlier, a Compliance Officer with Zenith Bank Plc, Mr Umar Abba Tilda, tendered three bank documents before the court which included a copy of Emefiele’s bank statement.

Tilda citing a portion in Emefiele’s bank statement informed the court that there was a N4 million transfer from Emefiele’s account with the bank to Architekon on January 13, 2015.

However, when asked by Emefiele’s lawyer if he knew what the transfer was meant for, he said he does not know.

Also when asked if he knew that the accounts he listed as belonging to Emefiele were salaries accounts, investments, savings and dividends, he said, “I wouldn’t know.

He also confirmed that some of the accounts contained Capital Interest Credit.

He also confirmed that a transaction of N15 million debit, dated April 13, 2015, in account number 2020000064 was part of litigation.

Meanwhile, the court has adjourned till October 21, for continuation of trial.

The court however, will on July 8, hear an application by Emefiele seeking the release of his international passport to enable him travel overseas for medical care.