Home News Documents Used To Obtain $6.2m for Election Observers Forged, Forensic Expert Tells Court

Documents Used To Obtain $6.2m for Election Observers Forged, Forensic Expert Tells Court

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A forensic document examiner, Bamaiyi Meriga told a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama on Thursday that the documents used to obtain $6.2 million from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for foreign election observers in the 2023 were forged.
Testifying at the continuation of the trial of Godwin Emefiele, the immediate past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) before Justice Hamza Muazu, the witness seconded to the EFCC, also confirmed that the signatures on the two documents- Presidential Directive on Foreign Observer Election and Presidential Directive on Foreign Observer Election were not those of former President Muhammadu Buhari and ex-Secretary General of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha.

The forensic expert also informed the court that following forensic analysis of the two documents, he discovered that there was clear evidence of forgery of signature, adding the seal of execution were different from the original.

Emefiele is facing a 20-count amended charge bordering on corrupt advantages, conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, forgery and obtaining by false pretenses to the tune of $6,230,000.

He was also accused of impersonating the SGF to illegally obtain a sum of $6.2m

At the last adjourned date mid-February, the former SGF Mustapha testified before the court and asserted that the documents did not emanate from former President Buhari or his office.

Mustapha said he knew nothing about the transaction up till the time he left office at the end of May 2023.

He said: “All through my service year as the SGF, I never came across these documents it was claimed that Buhari signed. From the face value of this document, having served for five years and seven months as SGF, this document did not emanate from the president for the following reasons.

At Thursday’s hearing, Bamaiyi  under cross-examination by counsel for Emefiele,  said he was not a staff of the EFCC, and was not being paid by the anti-graft agency.

He said his salary was domiciled with the Nigeria Immigration Service.

However, Counsel for Emefiele, Matthew Burkaa, expressed displeasure over the conduct of the witness, saying that he misled the court by evading questions.

The matter has been adjourned till March 11 for continuation of trial.

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