The trial of Willie Obiano, former governor of Anambra State, continued on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja with two prosecution witnesses disclosing how they supplied Obiano cash in both naira and dollars through his proxies.
A former banker who was the account manager of the Anambra State Government accounts, including the state’s Security Vote account, Ugochukwu Chinedu told the Federal High Court in Abuja that he usually delivered raw cash in both Naira and US dollars to Obiano in line with the instructions given to him by the former governor of the state, Willie Obiano’s former principal secretary, Willie Nwokoye and accountant at the state government’s house, Theophilus Meize.
Chinedu, who is Prosecution Witness 3, added that the duo were signatories to the Security Votes account.
Obiano is facing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on nine charges of embezzlement and money laundering to the tune of N4 billion.
In a statement on Wednesday by the service’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, the witness was quoted as saying, “I usually processed transactions with the principal secretary, either daily or weekly, mostly using the instruments of cheques. I will go to his office on Fridays to balance the account. All the transactions I carried out were usually based on the instructions given to him by the account holders.
“Sometime around July 2021, I was called by the compliance officer that they had received an invitation from the EFCC regarding an ongoing investigation into the administration of the Anambra State Government Security Votes’ account.
In the course of the investigation, I was asked to provide details about some other accounts that I managed which included Udo Ventures Limited, Moment of Peace Limited, Easy Diamond Integrated Links Limited, C. I Patty Ventures Nigeria Limited, Xpressive Consult Nig. Limited, among others.”
According to Oyewale, documents relating to those accounts were marked PW3 A1 to A215, tendered, and admitted in evidence.
Oyewale also said PW4, who operates five, Bureau de Change companies, Hayatu Hassan, disclosed that he made a total sum of N222,371,000 available in dollars equivalent to the Government of Anambra State under Obiano.
In the same vein, a businessman and Prosecution Witness 4, who operates five Bureau de Change companies, namely: Seltris BDC Limited, Seltris Limited, Commaught International Services Limited, Holdall Limited, and Norricelea Limited, disclosed that he made a total sum of N222,371,000 available in dollar equivalent to the Government of Anambra State under Obiano,” the statement added.
Oyewale said Hassan stated that,
“Sometimes last year, I was invited by the EFCC Abuja Office, and I was asked if I had any business with the Anambra State Government and I said no. Then, the person interviewing me showed me that my company, Commaught International Services Limited, has done some transactions with the state government. He showed me some payments in seven transactions that were done in my Commaught account.
“Two different transactions were in February 2018, about N172,371,000 (One Hundred and Seventy-two Million, Three Hundred and Seventy-one Naira) and it was for $465,000 (Four Hundred and Sixty-five Thousand US Dollars). The other one was in March 2018 for N50 million and it was for $135,000 (One Hundred and Thirty-five US Dollars), making a total of $600,000 (Six Hundred Thousand US Dollars) and naira equivalent of N222,371,000.
“I sold the dollars to Ayuba Tanko, another BDC operator. As soon as the transaction was done, I handed over the dollars to Ayuba Tanko. I didn’t know it was from the Anambra State Government,” he said.
The trial judge, Inyag Ekwo subsequently adjourned the matter till October 7, 8, 9 and 10 for the continuation of trial.
