Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, testified on Tuesday, February 13, in the trial of former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, stating that his signature, as well as that of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, was forged in the withdrawal of $6,230,000 from the CBN on February 8, 2023, to pay international election observers.
Mustapha asserted that he had no knowledge of the money reported to have been withdrawn for the payment of foreign election observers, emphasizing that it was not the responsibility of the Federal government or the SGF's office to request funds from the CBN for such purposes. He clarified that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was solely responsible for dealing with issues relating to election observers.
The testimony came after an official of the CBN, Michael Onyeka Ogbu, informed a High Court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) that the amount was given out in cash to an official from the office of the SGF following approvals by President Buhari and CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, based on a request by the SGF.
Boss Mustapha disputed the authenticity of the documents presented in court, stating that the correspondence did not come from the office of the president. He highlighted discrepancies in the document, such as the lack of a seal, unusual language, and a signature that he believed was a failed attempt to reproduce President Buhari's signature.
No comments:
Post a Comment