An FCT High Court has thrown out an application filed by the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele to travel to the UK for medical treatment.
Justice Hamza Muazu dismissed the application on Tuesday, noting that though the applicant stated he would be away from July 28 to September 10, there was no medical appointment or invitation brought before the court.
He also said the applicant is standing trial in various charges in three courts: two in the FCT and one in Lagos.
“The letter of invitation for medical follow-up is not attached. As it stands now, I cannot use my discretion to grant the application and he is standing trial in three courts.
“The application is hereby dismissed and the adjourned date for continuation of trial still stands,” he said.
The EFCC charged Emefiele with criminal breach of trust, forgery, conspiracy to obtain by false pretence and obtaining money by false pretence, when he served as the apex bank’s boss.
He is also accused of forging a presidential document and using his office as CBN governor to confer unfair and corrupt advantage on two companies; April 1616 Nigeria Ltd and Architekon Nigeria Ltd.
The EFCC’s lawyer had argued that there was no evidence to show that Emefiele’s ailment could not be treated in Nigeria.
He also stated that Emefiele posed a flight risk due to his connections with co-conspirators abroad and ongoing trials in three different courts.
But the defence counsel faulted the prosecution’s arguments as speculative.
