Kemisola Oye
A dispatch rider, Mr Monday Osazuwa, who is the first prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of embattled former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele, yesterday told Justice Rahman Oshodi of Lagos Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja that he kept no record of monies he collected for Emefiele.
Osazuwa disclosed this when he was re-examined by Emefiele’s counsel, Mr Olalekan Ojo (SAN).
Emefiele is standing trial over alleged abuse of office and money laundering to the tune of Four Billion, Five Hundred Million Dollars ($4.500,000,000.00) and Two Billion, Eight Hundred Million Naira (N2.800,000,000.00) only.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had on 8 April 2024 arraigned Emefiele along with Henry Omoile on 23 counts bordering on abuse of office, accepting gratifications, corrupt demand, receiving property fraudulently obtained and conferring corrupt advantage.
However, at the resumed trial yesterday, Osazuwa, the first prosecution witness that was recalled for cross-examination by the defence, told Justice Oshodi that Emefiele instructed him not to keep any records of all the money he collected for the ex-bank Chief.
It would be recalled that on 12 April 2024, when Osazuwa was led in evidence-in-chief by EFCC’s counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), he had told the court how Emefiele, on different occasions, instructed him to collect the sum of $3m cash in tranches.
“The highest amount I collected was $1m, all in cash, and some weeks later, the businessman also called me, and I collected $850,000, $750,000, and $400,000 cash in tranches.
“I did not keep records of transactions because the instructions he (Emefiele)gave me was that I should collect the money and bring it to his house.
“Whenever I receive the money and take it to my boss’s residence, Mr Emefiele will tell me to give it to the second defendant (Omoile) whenever he is not at home.”
The witness testified that he was a dispatch rider in Zenith Bank from 2001 before he joined CBN in 2014 as a contract staff, noting that Emefiele was his boss while in Zenith Bank before he later joined him in CBN.
He also told the court that he was later appointed as a senior supervisor (full-time) in recording and filing documents while working in the Governor’s Office in Lagos.
“I perform as a senior supervisor, recording and filing with other official roles.”
However, Ojo asked Osazuwa if at any time he put in his three statements made at EFCC that he wrote that Emefiele instructed him not to keep records, and he answered ‘No’. He said, there is no document produced showing where he recorded the monies he collected for Emefiele.
He also said that he didn’t have a document by either the first or second defendants acknowledging the receipt of money from him.
Asked if he knew the importance of keeping recordings of financial transactions, the witness said it was for record keeping and future reference, but he said he did not keep any records.
“I did not produce any record, I obeyed the instructions based on the money I collected for him,” he said.
The witness was shown the three extrajudicial statements he made on 13,15 and 23 February 2024 before the EFCC to refresh his memory.
After going through the statements, Osazuwa said, “I did not state it in my statements, but he instructed me not to record it. He instructed me that whenever he was not around I should just go straight and give it to the second defendant.”
He further told the court that he was detained in EFCC’s custody for a week and thereafter admitted to bail.
Osazuwa also told the court that there was no witness when he handed over the money to the first defendant (Emefiele).
On cross-examination by the second defence counsel, Adeyinka Kotoye (SAN), who asked the witness to clarify where he stated in his evidence that he and the second defendant counted the money in the envelope he collected for Emefiele. He said no.
Earlier, the 5th prosecution witness, a Business Relationship Manager with Zenith Bank Plc, Mrs Ifeoma Ogbonnaya, in the conclusion of her testimony, told the court that she gave the statements of accounts of Comec, Limelight, and Amswin Resources Limited addressed to Mrs Margaret Emefiele (Emefiele’s wife) to the regulators.
She also said that of all the documents available to her as the representative of Zenith Bank, there was nothing in the document connecting to Emefiele.
Ogbonnaya further told the court that she had no dealings with the second defendant (Henry Isioma-Omoile). “I do not have any relationship with the second defendant on any of the three accounts mentioned”.
In his testimony, the 6th Prosecution Witness, John Ogah told the court that he was a staff of Zenith Bank, where he worked as Secretary to Godwin Emefiele when he was the Managing Director of the bank.
Led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), the witness stated that he later joined the Central Bank of Nigeria, still as Secretary (in charge of administration) to the Governor of CBN.
He said he was responsible for receiving all internal and external mail for the Governor of CBN and also directed his attention to them. “I worked in the CBN Governor’s Office and took instructions from the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele.”
Asked if he knew one Adetola John, the witness said, “Yes, I know Adetola; he was my colleague. We worked together in the CBN Governor’s Office; he was in the Lagos office, while I was in the Abuja office.”
He further told the court that while working for the first defendant (Emefiele), he was asked to give documents to the account officer of three companies, namely, Limelight, Comec, and Answin Resources Limited in Zenith Bank.
“I scanned the document and sent it to the account officer of three companies, namely, Limelight, Comec, and Answin Resources Limited in Zenith Bank, through his official email.”
After listening to his testimony, Justice Oshodi subsequently adjourned further hearing to 30, 31 October 2024.
Eighteen-Eleven Media