6.2m fraud: Forensic expert confirms forgery of Buhari’s signature 8th March 2024
A forensic document examiner, Bamaiyi Haruna, testified on Thursday that his analysis of certain documents used to release $6.2 million from the Central Bank of Nigeria in February 2023 revealed that the documents were forged.
Haruna, an official of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), made this revelation during the ongoing trial of the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja.
Emefiele was arraigned by the EFCC on June 18, 2023, on amended 20 counts, including allegations of impersonating the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to illegally move $6.2 million from the CBN vault.
According to the EFCC, Emefiele conspired with Odoh Ocheme, who is currently on the run, to obtain the money from the CBN by claiming that it was requested by the SGF. The EFCC also alleged that Emefiele forged a document titled “RE: PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE ON FOREIGN ELECTION OBSERVER MISSIONS” to support the transaction.
During the trial, Boss Mustapha, the immediate-past SGF, testified that neither he nor former President Muhammadu Buhari were aware of the 6.2m fraud, and that Buhari’s signature was forged to facilitate the transfer of the funds.
On Thursday, forensic expert Bamaiyi Haruna appeared as the sixth prosecution witness and stated that his analysis of the signatures on the documents used in the transaction confirmed that they were forged. He highlighted differences in pen movements, loop formation, and individual characteristics between the disputed signatures and the genuine signatures of Buhari and Mustapha.
The EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), applied to the court to tender the forensic report and other relevant documents as exhibits, which Emefiele’s lawyer did not oppose. The documents were subsequently admitted as evidence.
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