Nigeria’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has denied reports that he has signed a non-prosecution plea bargain with former Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele.
Emefiele and his associates are facing charges of procurement fraud worth N6.9 billion. They were scheduled to be arraigned in August, but the case has been stalled, leading to speculation that Emefiele had reached a plea bargain with the government.
A recent report claimed that Emefiele and the government, represented by the AGF, had signed a plea bargain and that only President Bola Tinubu’s signature was needed to complete the process.
However, in a statement on Sunday, the AGF’s office said that the report was false and that no such agreement exists.
“The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice hereby state clearly that these reports are completely false,” the statement said.
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The statement also noted that Emefiele’s legal team had expressed its intention in court to initiate a plea bargain arrangement, but no such arrangement had been reached.
The AGF’s office urged the media and the public to disregard the false report.
The denial by the AGF’s office is significant because it suggests that the government is still committed to prosecuting Emefiele on corruption charges. This is a positive development for transparency and accountability in Nigeria.
However, it is essential to note that the case is still ongoing, and it is possible that Emefiele and the government could reach a plea bargain later. It is also possible that the case could be dropped altogether.
Only time will tell how the case will ultimately be resolved. But the AGF’s denial of a plea bargain is a positive step.
