John Adetola, the executive assistant to the embattled former Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has told a Lagos Special Offences court sitting in Ikeja that he handed over $400,000 to Emefiele.
Adetola narrated this before Justice Rahman Oshodi when he was led-in-evidence by the counsel for Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN).
Emefiele is standing trial for an alleged abuse of office and $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion fraud while in office, while Henry Omoile is standing trial over alleged acceptance of gift by agents.
The witness told the court that he was the former CBN Governor’s executive assistant and that he managed office correspondent, attended to visitors and other tasks.
Adetola told the court he joined the CBN in June 2014, saying: “before joined, I worked with Zenith Registrar before it became Veritas Registrar.”
He also told the court that he knew the former CBN Governor, Emefiele as the Managing Director of Zenith Bank before he joined the CBN, adding that he communicated with him through telephone, email and verbal means.
He said when he was invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), he made a voluntary statement based on the interview the officials had with him.
Emefiele’s counsel, Mr Olalekan Ojo (SAN), did not object that the documents be tendered for identification purpose. However, second defendant’s lead counsel, Mr Adeyinka Kotoye (SAN), objected and argued that the documents had no basis in law.
In a bench ruling, Justice Oshodi admitted the documents for identification purposes, marked as I.D (1), after considering the parties submissions. Oshodi subsequently adjourned the case to December 10 for cross-examination of the witness.
