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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has dismissed claims that one of its key witnesses justified vehicle procurement contracts awarded during the tenure of former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
According to the EFCC, the prosecution witness and a former head of the CBN procurement department Salawu Gana, was reported as justifying the vehicle procurement contracts awarded during Emefiele’s tenure contrary to the case of alleged contract irregularities alleged in the charges against him.
The agency also said Gana was said to have testified that procurement processes in awarding the contracts adhered strictly to legal and regulatory guidelines.
“This is far from the truth,” the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale said in a statement on Tuesday.
Oyewale clarified that Gana, the 10th prosecution witness, did not testify in favour of the contracts but instead revealed that confidential bidding information was leaked to April 1616, giving the company an unfair advantage in securing the contracts.
“The witness on Monday, February 3, 2025, told a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, presided over by Justice Hamza Muazu that the contract awards for the procurement of vehicles by the CBN were swayed in favour of April 16 16 owing to leakage of bidding information to the company.
“Gana, former head of the procurement department at the CBN, while being led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, revealed in his testimony that quotations for procurement of vehicles were received from three motor companies: RT. Briscoe, Globe Motors and April 1616 and April 16 16 eventually lifted the contract because the company had foreknowledge of bids made by the two other competing companies.
“We initiated the procurement process and requested quotations from Globe Motors, RT Briscoe, and April 1616. April 1616 was given a guide to the in-house estimate, allowing it to submit the lowest bid at N69 million, compared to RT Briscoe’s N77,050,000 and Globe Motors’ N77,179,999,” Gana told the court.
Oyewale said Gana further revealed that while April 1616 was provided with confidential pricing information, the other bidders were not, and the procurement was subsequently approved by Emefiele.
The former CBN governor is facing a 20-count amended charge, including allegations of conferring corrupt advantages, criminal breach of trust, forgery, conspiracy, and obtaining $6.23 million by false pretences.
