A witness for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ali Mohammed, has told the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory that the N124.86 billion withdrawn from the Consolidated Revenue Account by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under former governor Godwin Emefiele did not go through the Federal Ministry of Finance.
Mohammed, a director in the Ministry of Finance, gave the testimony on Tuesday while recounting how he received a letter from the Special Investigator appointed by President Bola Tinubu to probe the affairs of the CBN under Emefiele, including the disputed withdrawal.
The witness, who said he supervises three divisions within the ministry’s Home Finance Unit, told the court that he convened an emergency meeting with the heads of the three divisions after receiving the letter. He said the officials denied having any knowledge of the alleged N124.86 billion withdrawal.
Following their denial, Mohammed said he wrote to the Accountant-General of the Federation through the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, requesting clarification on the reported withdrawal of the funds.
In response, the witness told the court that the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation also denied having knowledge of the transaction and that the Office concluded that the withdrawal of the N124.86bn must have been done by the CBN.
He said the findings on the transactions were conveyed to the special investigation unit in response to his request.
The witness subsequently tendered all letters from Ministry of Finance and those of the Office Accountant General of the Federation before the court and were admitted as exhibits following no objection from Emefiele’s lawyer, Olalekan Ojo, SAN.
Meanwhile, further hearing in the case has been fixed for October 7 by Justice Maryanne Anenih for cross examination of the witness by the defence.