The former Secretary of the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha on Tuesday claimed that the documents he sighted which were used to release the sum of$6.2 million from the Central Bank of Nigeria in February 2023 are fake.
The former SGF,who appeared before the Federal High Court in Maitama,in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, as the fourth prosecution witness in the ongoing fraud trial of Godwin Emefiele, the former CBN Governor told the court that the documents were strange to him as he never came across them while he was in office .
Mustapha cited discrepancies in the letter including a reference number and the signature of the former president Muhammadu Buhari’s used by Emefiele claiming they were falsified..
He said,
“A letter bearing the president of Nigeria’s seal is not accompanied by a reference number. The authority is the seal.
“Secondly, it says that letters are not used to convey FEC decisions, which I have looked at and read. Extracts are used to convey them once conclusions have been reached.
Thirdly, the president will not refer executives’ conclusions to me because I am the FEC’s custodian.
Furthermore, during the course of the five years and seven months, I have never come across the phrase “special appropriation provision.” The terms that are familiar to me, my lord, are appropriation as defined by the appropriations act that is typically passed by the national assembly, as well as supplementary appropriation that is brought forth by the government when it files drafts.
” I have never received an email from Buhari that said,’ Please accept the assurance of my highest regard” Iam not implying in my correspondence that I am his subordinate.
Finally, examining the signature,one can see that an attempt was made to replicate Buhari’s signature,but it failed. I’ll let the professionals handle that”
Emefiele is standing trial in a case of multi – million dollar fraud filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC.
The EFCC claimed that Emefiele and Odoh Ocheme, one of those it declared wanted who is currently at large, conspired on February 8, 2023, to obtain $6.2 million from the CBN on behalf of the SGF “via a letter dated 26th January 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/.”
The Commission further claimed that Emefiele falsified a document titled “RE: PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE ON FOREIGN ELECTION OBSERVER MISSIONS,” dated January 26, 2023, and bearing reference number SGF.43/L.01/201, in January 2023.
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