An Abuja High Court on Monday admitted five newspaper publications and certification receipts from the National Library of Nigeria in the ongoing trial of former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, as evidence.
Justice Maryanne Anenih admitted the materials and marked them as evidence after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) tendered them through a subpoenaed witness, Jegede Oluwasegun, an official of the National Library of Nigeria.
Emefiele is charged with a four-count charge bordering on disobedience to the direction of law and illegal acts causing injury to the public.
The offence, the EFCC said, contravened the provisions of Section 123 of the Penal Code, Cap. 89 Laws of the Federation, 1990, and is punishable under the same law.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
At the resumed hearing in the case, the witness was taken in evidence by Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, the EFCC counsel.
The witness, who is the prosecution witness eight (PW 8), gave a detailed account of his schedule of duty.
Oyedepo later tendered copies of Punch, This Day, Vanguard, Daily Sun, and The Nation newspapers and certification receipts.
The defendant’s counsel, Olalekan Ojo, SAN, did not object to the materials presented by the prosecution.
Being cross-examined by Emefiele’s counsel, Ojo, the witness admitted that he was not the author of the contents of the newspapers.
“What I do is to certify the newspapers. I cannot 100 per cent say the contents of the papers are right; I am not the author,” the witness told the court.
Ojo then called for This Day publication of Jan. 31, 2023, and its certification; the witness confirmed it.
The prosecution, however, did not object to the document; subsequently, the court admitted it in evidence and marked it as an exhibit.
Justice Anenih then adjourned until Wednesday for further hearing. (NAN)
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