Two witnesses testified on Tuesday at the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) opened its money laundering case against Willie Obiano, the former governor of Anambra.
A commercial banker staff, Tochukwu Aloysius Nnadi, and an Onitsha-based businesswoman, Chinwe Patricia Egbunam, were led in evidence as first and second prosecution witnesses by EFCC’s lawyer, Sylvanus Tahir (SAN) before Justice Inyang Ekwo.
In a nine-count charge, he was alleged to have misappropriated over N4 billion from the state’s treasury, among other things.
When the matter was called, Mr Nnadi, the first prosecution witness (PW-1), told the court that he was a bank manager at Awka, the capital of Anambra.
Mr Nnadi said part of his role was to manage customers’ accounts and interface with anti-graft agencies by providing relevant information on customers’ accounts.
He said the EFCC had invited him, being the branch manager, regarding the investigation of Mr Obiano’s financial activities while he was the governor of Anambra between March 2014 and March 2022.
“The state government maintains various accounts with our bank, and one of such accounts was for security votes,” the witness said. According to him, there was nothing special about the security vote account.
He said the office of the state’s accountant general mostly funded the account, and the bulk of the funds came from internally generated revenue (IGR).
“Payments into the account were made on a weekly basis, and all transactions out of the account were always based on the advice of the account operators.
“The payments we made from the account were made to various entities and corporate organisations, and we supplied documents containing the names of all the beneficiaries to the EFCC,” the witness added.
However, he declined the prosecution counsel, Mr Tahir’s request to mention the names of some of the beneficiaries in open court, saying that doing so would amount to a breach of his “oath of secrecy.”
“Cash withdrawals, manager’s cheques, transfers and drafts were instruments that were used to remove the funds based on instructions from the operators of the accounts.
“Some of the documents I submitted to the EFCC included the certified true copies (CTCs) of the statements of account, cover letter for the statements of account, packages used to open the account, as well as certificates of identification for each account,” he said.
Meanwhile, the bundle of documents from the bank, totalling 794 pages, were tendered and admitted in evidence by the court as Exhibit PW-1 (A1- A 794)
Another bundle of documents dated June 1, 2023, showing the debits made from the accounts, was also admitted in evidence.
Mr Obiano’s lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, said his client would reserve his objections to the exhibits and raise them in his final address.
When the witness was asked to read to the court, from the exhibit, some names on the list of beneficiaries of funds that transferred out of the account, he mentioned “Moment of Peace Ventures, Easy Diamond Integrated Links and Nasdaq Ventures.”
When cross-examined, Mr Nnadi told the court that all the transactions involving his bank were done in compliance with the mandate on each account.
After Mr Nnadi concluded his evidence and was dismissed, Ms Egbunam, who said she deals in sales of Turkey wear, mounted the box and testified.
She told the court that on May 20, she received a call that she was needed at the EFCC office over some funds that passed through the account of her company, C.I. Party Ventures Nigeria Limited.
“When I got to the EFCC, I told them that I did not know anything about the money but that I knew that I told my account officer, Ugochukwu Otibelu, to help me upgrade my account to enable me to meet the requirements of the Embassy of Turkey.
Ms Egbunam said Mr Ugochukwu was to upgrade her account to enable her to travel and fund it, adding, “My account officer accepted my request and collected my company account and cheque.”
“However, at the EFCC, I was told that about N156.8 million passed through my account from the Anambra State government,” she said.
While being cross-examined, the witness told the court that the arrangement was for her account officer to facilitate the inflow of funds into her company’s account.
She told the court that she did not touch the money wired into the account because it did not belong to her.
Furthermore, the witness told the court that her family members were the directors of the company’s account.
“Outside the fact that the defendant was the governor of Anambra State, I never had any dealings with him,” she added.
When asked to tell the court about the security situation in the state while Mr Obiano held sway as governor, the witness said, “I currently stay in Anambra. There is usually no movement in the state every Monday because of a sit-at-home order.
“I know ESN and IPOB, and they operate fully in Anambra State.”
She said during Mr Obiano’s tenure, the former governor worked with organisations and churches to maintain peace in the state.
Mr Ekwo adjourned the matter until Wednesday for trial continuation.
(NAN)
