A court in Abuja has dismissed additional evidence presented by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the procurement fraud case against Godwin Emefiele, former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court ruled that the EFCC’s attempt to introduce new evidence and witnesses after the trial began violated the right to a fair trial.
The judge emphasized that the introduction of such evidence amounted to a trial by ambush, as Emefiele was not presented with this information during the initial investigation.
Details of the Case
The EFCC sought to add evidence involving former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, and Bamayi Haruna Mairiga, among others. Justice Muazu noted that this effort came long after charges were filed in August 2023 and deemed it prejudicial to Emefiele, who had pleaded in November 2023.
Despite these findings, the court refused to strike down the existing charges, stating that both sides were already deeply engaged in the trial process, which should continue to its conclusion. The trial is scheduled to resume on June 3.
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