Obiano: Anambra funds Paid Into Private Companies’ Accounts – Witness

A Federal High Court in Abuja heard on Wednesday that funds in the Security Vote Account maintained with a commercial bank by the Anambra State Government were moved into private companies’ accounts.

A prosecution witness, Ugochukwu Otubelu, disclosed this while testifying at the resumed hearing in the money laundering case involving the immediate past Governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano.

Led in evidence by prosecuting lawyer, Sylvanus Tahir (SAN), Otubelu, who said he used to be a banker, told the court that he was in charge of managing the Anambra State security vote account as an Account Officer.

The witness identified the private companies as – Nazotal Ventures, C. I. Party Ventures Nigeria Limited, Moment of Peace Ventures, Youdoo Ventures and Eazy Diamond Limited.

The witness said the identified companies were among the entities whose accounts he managed.

When asked by Tahir whether there were ever inflows to the companies’ accounts from the Security Vote Account of Anambra State, Otubelu said yes.

When asked what happened to the funds that entered into the private companies’ accounts from the Anambra State Security Vote Account, the witness said: “It was used to process transactions for the Principal Secretary” to the defendant.”

He also told the court that the money did not go to the owners of the accounts.

The witness identified Obiano’s Principal Secretary, Willy Nwokoye and the Account at the Government House, Theophilus Nweze as the signatories to the security vote account.

He said Nwokoye was the one giving directives on how funds in the account should be disbursed.

Otubelu, who said he knows Obiano and has dealt with him on some occasions including taking cash to him in naira and United States dollars, added: “Still on the transactions of the Principal Secretary, he gives instructions on who the payment is to be made to. Sometimes, he instructs us to take cash directly to the defendant.”

He said at some times when he took money to Obiano he met top security personnel in the place.

Another witness, Hayatu Adejo, a bureau de change (BDC) operator, told the court that during investigation, he was shown evidence that one of his companies – Connaught Nigeria Limited – received funds from Anambra State.

Adejo said the funds were paid into his account by a colleague named Ayuba to whom he sold dollars.

He said “I sold dollars to one Ayuba and he asked me for my bank account details and I gave him the account details.

“When the payment was done, I handed the US dollars to him but in the payment, the narration reads MC Payment meaning Mangers Cheque Payment.

“That is why I did not know that the money is from any state account,” he said.

Under cross examination, Adejo said his BDC company is a financial institution and that the transactions he had with Ayuba were legitimate business transactions.

He denied ever dealing with Obiano.

Further hearing in the case has been adjourned till October 7.