Oct. 7, 2024

A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, shifted the alleged money laundering charge filed by the EFCC against former Anambra Governor, Willie Obiano, to Nov. 13 for continuation of trial.

The matter, which is before Justice Inyang Ekwo, could not proceed because the court did not sit.

The judge was said to be attending a seminar at the National Judicial Institute (NJI) in Abuja.

Justice Ekwo had, on June 26, fixed today for the continuation of trial after the anti-graft agency’s lawyer, Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, led two witnesses in evidence in the trial of the ex-governor.

A former commercial bank staff, Mr Ugochukwu Otubelu, had revealed how he managed the security vote account under Obiano’s government.

Otubelu, the 3rd prosecution witness (PW-3), said though he was with the bank between Nov. 2, 2008 and March 24, 2023, said he is now a businessman.

He said that the signatories to the security vote account were the former Principal Secretary to the ex-governor, Willy Nwokoye, and the Accountant, Theophilus Nweze.

He said he interfaced with them mostly on daily and weekly basis in processing their transactions.

The PW-3, who admitted that funds from the security votes account went into six companies’ account, said the money did not go to the account holders.

The EFCC also called Hayatu Hadejia, a Bureau De Change (BDC) operator as PW-4.

Hadejia told the court that he is a businessman, who runs BDC companies.

He said he had five companies and was invited by the EFCC as part of its investigations into the financial activities of the government of ex-governor Obiano.

After given his testimony and was cross-examined by Obiano’s lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, Justice Ekwo discharged him from the witness box and fixed Oct. 7, Oct. 8, Oct. 9 and Oct. 10 for continuation of trial.

The former governor, in a nine-count charge, was alleged to have among others, misappropriated over N4 billion from the state’s treasury.(NAN)