Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele, has denied allegations of stolen funds against him in the recently released report of the Special Investigator on the CBN and Related Entities.
He explained his stance in a statement on Sunday titled, ‘Re: Emefiele, others stole billions, illegally kept Nigeria’s funds in foreign banks’.
Recall that last week, the Special Investigator on the CBN and Related Entities, Jim Obaze, revealed that the ex-CBN governor lodged £543, 482,213 in fixed deposits in UK banks alone without authorisation.
Obaze’s report partly read, “The former governor of CBN, Godwin Emefiele invested Nigeria’s money without authorisation in 593 foreign bank accounts in the United States, China and the United Kingdom, while he was in charge.
“All the accounts where the billions were lodged have all been traced by the investigator.”
While reacting in a statement on Sunday, Emefiele said, “After my release on bail from the correctional centre, Kuje, my attention was drawn to publications released by some mainstream and online news platforms. The sources of the information published by both media houses were credited to a certain report prepared by Mr. Jim Obazee, who was appointed by the President as a private investigator.
“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.”
According to him, about two weeks ago, Obazee alongside a certain Deputy Commissioner of Police from Force CID, came to Kuje to interrogate him in respect of the said document in the presence of his lawyers.
The former CBN governor said, “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 know about their openings.
“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.
“I therefore join well-meaning Nigerians who have spoken on this matter and have demanded a thorough and transparent investigation of all these alleged frauds.”
He added that, “I have instructed my lawyers to immediately commence the legal process to clear my name from the defamatory statements contained in the report and by extension the publications.”
