Former Anambra State governor Willie Obiano received payment from Ugochukwu Chinedu, a former banker, in both naira and USD. Chinedu disclosed the information on Wednesday at the reopened trial of Obiano.
Chinedu, who was the account manager of the Anambra State Government accounts, testified before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, that he typically made raw cash deliveries to Obiano in both Naira and US dollars per the instructions given to him by the former governor’s Principal Secretary, Willie Nwokoye, and the accountant at the state government’s residence, Theophilus Meize.
Prosecution Witness 3, Chinedu, further stated that the two were signatories to the Security Votes account.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Obiano on nine counts of embezzlement and money laundering totaling ₦4 billion, according to the national news brand.
Dele Oyewale, the EFCC spokesperson, on Wednesday cited the witness in a statement, “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,” it added.
Continuing, Oyewale claims that records pertaining to those accounts were produced, admitted into evidence, and stamped PW3 A1 to A215. He also stated that PW4, Hayatu Hassan, the operator of five Bureau de Change firms, revealed that he made a total of ₦222,371,000 available in dollars equivalent to the Anambra State Government under Obiano.
Adding, the statement holds, “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 ₦222,371,000 available in dollar equivalent to the Government of Anambra State under Obiano.”
According to the EFCC spokesperson, 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,” it added.
However, the trial Judge, Inyag Ekwo, postponed the case to October 7, 8, 9, and 10.
