Emefiele printed his own Naira, ignored design approved by Buhari - Ex CBN Director

 

Godwin Emefiele (middle)

A former Director of Currency Operations at the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Ahmed Umar, has disclosed that the immediate past governor, Godwin Emefiele, ignored a design approved by former president Muhammadu Buhari and printed his own design of the Naira.

Umar disclosed this while giving evidence before the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), High Court in Abuja.

Umar said the design approved by the President had a QR code, which the currency in circulation does not have.

The positioning of the portrait was on the right side, while the one printed by the CBN was on the left.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, arraigned Emefiele on May 15, on a four-count charge, before Justice Maryam Anenih, of the FCT High Court. 

Emefiele was alleged to have disobeyed the direction of the law, with the intent to cause injury to the public, during his implementation of the Naira swap policy, of the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The anti-graft agency also accused Emefiele of unlawfully approving the withdrawal of N124.8 billion from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation.

Emefiele, however, denied the charge, and has since been granted bail in the sum of N300 million.

Emefiele is also standing trial before Justice Hamza Muazu of the FCT High Court, on an alleged 20-count amended charge, preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC).

He was alleged to have engaged in criminal breach of trust, forgery, conspiracy to obtain money by false pretence, and obtaining money by false pretence when he served as the Central Bank Chief.