Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, granted bail to former Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, who is standing on trial on alleged N4billion money laundering charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The EFCC is prosecuting Obiano on a nine-count charge of alleged money laundering while the foremost anti-graft agency accused the former Anambra Governor of allegedly laundering N4,008,573,350.
The EFCC further alleged that Obiano moved the amount from security votes into different bank accounts, saying that he committed the offence between March 2014 and March 2022 when he was the Anambra State Governor.
When the nine-count charge was read to Obiano, he pleaded not guilty to the offence.
The prosecuting EFCC lawyer, Sylvanus Tahir (SAN), thereafter sought for a trial date while asking the court to remand Obiano in a Correctional Centre pending the commencement of trial.
But the lead lawyer to Obiano, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), drew the attention of the court to a bail application before the court.
In his ruling on the bail application, Justice Ekwo held that Obiano should continue to enjoy bail on the administrative terms earlier granted by the EFCC.
The judge also ordered that Obiano should be confined to the court jurisdiction and directed the EFCC to deposit his travelling documents with the court registrar.
Justice Ekwo added that the court registrar should notify the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) about the development.
Some of the nine-count charge against Obiano read, “That you, Chief Willie Maduabuchi Obiano, whilst being the executive governor of Anambra State of Nigeria between March 2014 – March 2022, sometime between 7th February, 2018 to 18th February, 2019 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, indirectly transferred through Mr Willie Nwokoye, your then principal private secretary, the sum of N156,800.00 only from the Anambra State Government Security Vote Account into an belonging to C.I. Patty Ventures Nigeria Limited (an entity that had no business relationship with the Anambra State Government), which funds were dissipated for purposes unrelated / unconnected with the security affairs of Anambra State, which you reasonably ought to have known that such funds formed part of the proceeds of your unlawful act, to wit: (Stealing and Corruption) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) in 2012 and punishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act.
“That you, Chief Willie Maduabuchi Obiano, whilst being the executive governor of Anambra State of Nigeria between March 2014 — March 2022, sometime between 9th August, 2017 to 4th March, 2020 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, indirectly transferred through Mr Willie Nwokoye, your then principal private secretary, the sum of N261,268,585.00 only from the Anambra State Government Security Vote to another country belonging to Easy Diamond Integrated Link (an entity that had no business relationship with the Anambra State Government), which funds were dissipated for purposes unrelated / unconnected with the security affairs of Anambra State, which you reasonably ought to have known that such funds formed part of the proceeds of your unlawful act, to wit: (Stealing and Corruption) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) in 2012 and punishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act.”
Justice Ekwo consequently adjourned the matter till March 4 for trial.
