The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has dismissed reports suggesting that one of its key witnesses justified vehicle procurement contracts awarded during the tenure of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
According to the EFCC, its prosecution witness, Salawu Gana—a former head of the CBN procurement department—was inaccurately reported as defending the contracts, contrary to allegations of contract irregularities outlined in the charges against Emefiele.
The anti-graft agency clarified that Gana did not testify in support 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.
“This is far from the truth,” EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, stated in a release on Tuesday.
He explained that on Monday, February 3, 2025, Gana testified before Justice Hamza Muazu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), revealing that the CBN’s procurement process was compromised in favor of April 1616 due to the unauthorized disclosure of bidding details.
The former procurement head stated that quotations were obtained from three motor companies—RT Briscoe, Globe Motors, and April 1616. However, April 1616 ultimately secured the contract because it had foreknowledge of its competitors’ bids.
“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 further noted that Gana’s testimony confirmed that while April 1616 had access to confidential pricing information, the other bidders did 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.
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