A witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Salawu Gana on Monday told a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja that the contract awards for vehicles purchase by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) passed through due process of procurement laws and CBN guidelines.
Gana who testified as the 10th witness of the EFCC admitted that quotations for supplies of vehicles were received from three major Motor Companies in the country, namely, RT. Briscoe, Globe Motors and April 1616 firm.
The witness said that the Procurement Department of the CBN after evaluating the quotations, vetted the submissions of the three companies recommended April 1616 firm for the contract award.
Under cross examination by Matthew Burkaa, SAN lead counsel to the former Governor of the CBN, Godwin Emefiele, the witness said the defendant subsequently gave approval for the contract award to the winner (April 1616) upon the recommendations of the CBN Tenders Board.
He admitted that the vehicles were supplied after which the the company (April 1616) was paid upon the recommendations of Tenders Board and approval of the defendant.
The witness who claimed to be Head of the Procurement Unit during the award of contracts said that the defendant (Emefiele) was not a member of the CBN Tenders Board.
He also admitted that non of the five procurement officers who recommended April 1616 company for the award including himself had been put on trial by the anti-graft agency.
Earlier, EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, had tendered bundles of exhibits relating to biddings for 45 different contracts for supplying of vehicles to the CBN by April 1616, RT Briscoe and Globe Motors.
The witness during evidence in chief told the court that April 1616 got the contract awards because the company quoted the least cost prices among the three.
Meanwhile, Emefiele through his counsel, Matthew Burka has applied to the court to prohibit EFCC from calling additional witnesses after the 10 witnesses listed on the proof of evidence have already testified.
The application was however, vehemently opposed by EFCC lawyer on the grounds that the right of EFCC to fair hearing will be violently breached.
He therefore pleaded with the court to reject the application in the interest of justice.
Meanwhile, Justice Hamza Muazu has fixed March 20b for ruling on the application.
