Emefiele: I never authorized payment of N6.3m by the CBN, documents were forged – Ex-SGF Mustafa tells Court
The former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (Ex-SGF), Boss Mustapha has said he did not at any point authorize the payment of two Hundred and Thirty Thousand United States Dollar ($6,230,000.00) to his office, by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Mustapha said this while appearing before Justice Lawal Muazu of the Federal High Court, as a witness in the ongoing trial of former governor of the CBN, Godwin Emefiele, who is facing multiple charges bothering on conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, forgery and obtaining by false pretences the sum of $6.2m.
The said sum which was released on January 8, 2023 was said to be logistics funds for foreign election observers sent to cover the 2023 General elections and was paid in cash to a supposed staff of the office of the SGF.
Led in evidence by the Counsel of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Rotimi Oyedepo, Mustapha denied knowledge of the transaction adding that the documents alleged to have emanated from his office and the subsequent approval by the former President, Muhammadu Buhari, were forged.
“Up to the time I left office, having served for 5 years and 7 months, I did not know anything about the transaction, I never came across this document and I can categorically say that this document did not emanate from the office of the Federal Government” he said.
He explained that the purported letter said to be from the former president neither carries a reference number, nor the Seal of the President which according to him, is the authority. He added that the decisions of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) are not transmitted by letters but through extractions after conclusions are adopted, adding that as a custodian of the record of the FEC, the President will not be referring to conclusions to be since he is the custodian.
The former SGF also said he never heard of the term, “Special Appropriation Provision” , stating that he only knows about the terms, ” Appropriation” as provided by the Appropriation act passed by the National Assembly and “Supplementary Appropriation”, issued when the government notices a gap.
He also noticed discrepancies in the ending of the letter which would only be used to refer to a superior of which he was only the Secretary to the President, also stating that there was a stern attempt to reproduce the signature of the President.
Mustapha said, “Nigerian government has no business with election observers, it is INEC’s sole responsibility.”
He admitted that there was a FEC meeting on January 18, 2023, but that there was no agenda talking about election observers so there will certainly be no conclusions to that effect.
On the letter which was said to emanate from his office, Mustapha stated categorically that he did not sign it, stating that he would not have written to the Banking Services of the CBN to release funds because he does does not know the operations of the CBN.
He added that the letter does not conform with the standards used by his office to write letters, as the reference number is always clear, indicating the department it is coming from and that their letters are either paragraphed or numbered.
Furthermore, he said he was not aware of any Jubril Abubakar addressed in the letter as a Principal Executive of a Special Task Force, who was directed to receive the money in cash, stating that he does not work in his office.
Finally, he said he would not begin such official letter with “Dear Sir” and just like the letter allegedly written by the former president, he said the letter ended with, “please accept assurances of my highest regards”, which can only be used to address a superior.
During Cross-examination by Emefiele’s counsel, Mathew Burkaa (SAN), the former SGF said the said sum was never brought to his office whether in full or in parts adding that he never got any letter making enquiries if Jubril Abubakar worked with him.
Mustapha said he only got to know about the transaction on social media on December 23, 2023 and immediately issued a statement denying knowledge of the transaction while demanding a proper investigation into the matter.
He said he would never send a staff to the CBN to collect cash, but that even if he had to do so, he worked with six permanent Secretaries who would be in better position to do the work for the office.
Easrlier, Ogbu Onyeka Michael, a Deputy Director at the CBN who was formerly a Branch Controller at the time, told the court that he approved the funds because he saw an approval from the banking services department, dully signed by them, to pay a staff of the of the office of the SGF, the said amount for International election observers.
He said the funds paid in cash was to be refunded in the second quater of 2023 by the Federal Ministry of Finance. Also attached according to him was the approval by the former President as well as a request letter from the former SGF.
He admitted that he did not authenticate the identity of the said staff from the SGF, beyond the identity card attached to the document, using the Bank Verification Number (BVN) but said it was not a necessity for approval.
Ogbu told the court, that the staff who brought the documents to him was supposed to be a staff with the bank, adding that the Internal memo from the bank, dated January 31, 2023, was signed by the Director Banking services, Mrs. Catherine Igundunasse, but admitted that the approval by the CBN governor, Emefiele was not dated.
Justice Muazu adjourned the matter till March 7, 2024 for continuation of trial.
