Witness told court I did not keep records of money collected for Emefiele — News — The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News

Dispatcher Monday Osazuwa, the prosecution’s first witness in the ongoing trial of embattled former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has told the court that he kept no record of the monies collected for Emefiele.

Osazuwa stated this when he was re-cross-examined by Emefiele’s lawyer, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), at the Lagos Special Crimes Court in Ikeja.

At the hearing that resumed yesterday, Osazuwa told Justice Rahman Oshodi that Emefiele had instructed him not to keep records of the money he collected for himself.

He said: “The highest amount I raised was $1 million in all cash, and a few weeks later the businessman called me too and I raised $850,000, $750,000 and $400,000 in cash in tranches.

“I did not keep a record of the transactions because his (Emefiele) instructions to me were to collect the money and bring it to his house.

“When I collect the money and take it to his house, Emefiele will tell me to give the money to the second defendant (Omoile) when he is not at home.”

The witness testified that he had been working as a dispatcher at Zenith Bank since 2001 before joining CBN as a contracted personnel in 2014, stating that Emefiele later became his boss when he was at Zenith Bank before joining CBN.

He also told the court that he was later appointed senior supervisor (full-time) in recording and filing of documents while working in the governor’s office in Lagos.

Ojo, however, asked Osazuwa whether he had at any time written in his three statements to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that Emefiele had instructed him not to keep records, including No. He replied: 1.

He also told the court that he was remanded in EFCC custody for a week and subsequently released on bail.

In cross-examination, the second defense lawyer, Adeyinka Kotoye (SAN), asked the witness to explain where in his statement he stated that he counted the money in the envelope that he and the second defendant collected for Emefiele but he said no.

Earlier, the prosecution’s fifth witness, Ifeoma Ogbonnaya, a Business Relations Manager at Zenith Bank Plc., told the court at the end of her statement that she had provided account statements of Comec, Limelight and Amswin Resources Limited in the name of Ms. Margaret. Emefiele (Emefiele’s wife) to the regulators.

He also said that among all the documents he had as a representative of Zenith Bank, there was nothing related to Emefiele.

The sixth prosecution witness, John Ogah, brought to the stand by Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), the prosecution, told the court in his statement that he was an employee of Zenith Bank, where Godwin Emefiele worked as his Secretary. general manager of the bank.

The witness said he was responsible for receiving all internal and external mails of the CBN governor and directed his attention to them.

After hearing their statements, Justice Oshodi adjourned the hearing to 30 and 31 October 2024.