TheCable

Godwin Emefiele, former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has denied accusations of corruption and theft in a recent report by the special investigation panel on CBN and other entities, led by Jim Obazee, a private investigator.

The report, which was recently submitted to President Bola Tinubu, comes after nearly six months of a probe on the activities of the CBN under Emefiele.

The document details serious acts of corruption and theft in the CBN, allegedly perpetrated by senior officials of the bank, including Emefiele who regained freedom on Saturday after spending a month in the Kuje correctional facility for procurement fraud.

The report alleged, among other things, that Emefiele approved the naira redesign policy without presidential approval and withdrew $6.23 million from the CBN vault.

Speaking on the allegations in a statement on Sunday, Emefiele refuted the claims, describing the panel’s findings as “false, misleading, and calculated to disparage” his character.

He said the presidential approval for the naira redesign existed and was provided to Obazee during his investigation.

The ex-CBN governor challenged Obazee to publish the alleged forged presidential directive and his statements denying knowledge of it.

“I have gone through the publications, and I say boldly that the contents of the said publications are false, misleading, and calculated to disparage my person, injure my character, and serve the selfish interest of the private investigator,” Emefiele said.

“I have been advised by my lawyers not to say anything in respect of the matters which have been submitted to the court for adjudication. However, I need to address some of the issues raised in the publication which are barefaced lies told by the investigator in order to achieve his satanic agenda.

“First, it was reported that, contrary to the provision of the CBN Act 2007, there was no presidential approval for the Naira redesign.

“I wish to state unequivocally that there was indeed a presidential approval, and the said approval was handed over to the same Jim Obazee during the process of his investigation in the presence of senior CBN officials and his investigative team.

“Moreover, the former President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR has stated on a number of occasions that he authorised and approved the Naira redesign.

“I am therefore at a loss as to why Mr. Jim Obazee will mislead Nigerians that there was no presidential approval.

“The report also claimed that the sum of 6.23 million dollars was withdrawn from the CBN vault based on a false presidential directive bearing the signature of the former president Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, and that of the former secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha.

“About two weeks ago, Jim Obazee in the company of a certain Deputy Commissioner of Police from Force CID came to Kuje to ask me questions in respect of the said document in the presence of my lawyers.

“I stated verbally and in writing that I have no knowledge of such a directive from the former president and the former SGF. In fact, I told them that that was the first time I would be seeing the documents. On this, I challenge Jim Obazee to publish the said documents and also the statements that I made to them.”

‘NO INVOLVEMENT IN OPENING ACCOUNTS’

Reacting to claims of illegally depositing billions of naira in 593 offshore bank accounts, the regulator’s ex-governor said he has “no knowledge” of such accounts.

“The final issue that I would like to respond to is the issue of the 593 accounts which were purportedly opened in different parts of the world. I state categorically that I am not involved in the opening of these accounts and I do not have knowledge of their openings,” he said.

“The fixed deposits in those foreign accounts are definitely outside my knowledge. However, let me state clearly that the relevant departments of the CBN have the authority to carry out such activities in line with their lawful mandate within the CBN.”

Emefiele, therefore, called for a “thorough and transparent investigation of all alleged frauds”.

He also announced his intention to commence legal action to clear his name “from the defamatory statements contained in the report and by extension the publications”.