Nigeria slaps 14 new criminal charges against ex-central bank chief

Nigeria's Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele briefs the media during the MPC meeting in Abuja, Nigeria January 24, 2020. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde/ File Photo

Source: X07072

Nigerian prosecutors on Thursday added 14 new criminal charges, including forgery, against former central bank governor Godwin Emefiele in the most high-profile corruption case under President Bola Tinubu.

Emefiele, who presided over the affairs of the central bank for nine years, resigned last year after he was arrested and spent five months in detention.

Prosecutors told a judge in Abuja that the new charges against Emefiele were linked to forgery, conspiracy to commit forgery and felony, procurement fraud and criminal breach of trust.

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Emefiele was being tried on six charges of procurement fraud after he was freed on $300,000 bail in November. He denied the charges.

He will be indicted on the amended charges on Friday, when he is also expected to enter a plea.

Emefiele was suspended by Tinubu on June 9 and arrested the next day by the Department of State Service. He then resigned in August, paving the way for the appointment of Olayemi Cardoso as the new central bank governor in September.

This article was produced by Reuters news agency. It has not been edited by Global South World.

By Reuters