BY ANTHONY OCHELA, ABUJA
Three witnesses of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday, at the Federal High Court Abuja, in the money laundering suit preferred against a former Anambra State governor, Willie Obiano, said bank transactions provided as exhibits followed laid-down procedures.
In the suit before Justice Inyang Ekwo, Obiano, who was the Anambra State governor between March 2014 and March 2022, is facing a nine-count charge for allegedly defrauding the state to the tune of N4 billion.
The monies were alleged to have been stolen from Anambra State security votes account which was converted into dollars and given to the defendant (Obiano) in cash.
Three witnesses called by the prosecution from a new generation bank, Jeremiah Nnajenu, Kingsley Onuh and Mirabeth Onyechi, who testified as Principal Witnesses 6,7 and 8, said transactions made to bank accounts in exhibits in the suit were done by registered companies through normal banking transactions.
All three witnesses were earlier led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir (SAN), who first called Ayuba Tanko Abbullahi, Principal Witness 5, a bureau-de-change operator who testified about monies transferred into his account with the bank.
PW5 testified that N416 million was transferred to his company’s account in installments from the state government’s account between April and December 2017, and he paid the dollars equivalent of $1,157,000.
Under cross-examination by the defence counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), Abdullahi admitted that he never personally had any interaction with the defendant.
The three witnesses from the bank acknowledged that they never had any interaction with the defendant as regards any of the transactions in the exhibits presented in court.
At the close of testimony by PW8, Tahir said the other witnesses he had sought to call were not available because they had been transferred to Lagos State and he would need time to present them.
Justice Ekwo subsequently adjourned the matter to February 24, 25 and 26, 2025 for continuation of trial.
At the previous sitting on June 26, the third prosecution witness and a former commercial bank staff, Mr Ugochukwu Otubelu told the court that funds in the Security Vote Account of the Anambra State government were moved into private companies’ accounts.
Otubelu said he managed the state’s security vote account as an account officer when Obiano was governor.
He said he was with the bank between November 2, 2008 and March 24, 2023.
He added that the signatories to the security vote account were the former Principal Secretary to the former governor, Willy Nwokoye, and the accountant, Theophilus Nweze.
He said he interfaced with them daily and weekly in processing their transactions.
He also said he knew Obiano and dealt with him on some occasions, as he took cash to him in naira and dollars.
The witness added that funds from the security votes account went into six companies’ accounts that were not the account holders.
Otubelu identified the private companies as Nazotal Ventures; C. I. Party Ventures Nigeria Limited; Moment of Peace Ventures; Youdoo Ventures and Eazy Diamond Limited.
According to him, the companies were among the entities whose accounts he managed.
The fourth prosecution witness, Hayatu Hadejia, a bureau-de-change operator, told the court that he was a businessman who runs BDC companies.
He said he had five companies and was invited by the EFCC as part of its investigation into the financial activities of Obiano’s government.
Hadejia, who was cross-examined by Ikpeazu, told the court that one of his companies, Connaught Nigeria Limited, received funds from the Anambra State government but never had any dealings with Obiano.
