High Court in Abuja heard on Wednesday that funds from the Anambra State Government’s Security Vote Account were transferred into private companies’ accounts.
The disclosure was made during the ongoing money laundering trial of Willie Obiano, the immediate past Governor of Anambra State.
Ugochukwu Otubelu, a former banker and prosecution witness, testified under the direction of prosecuting lawyer Sylvanus Tahir (SAN).
Otubelu stated that he managed the Anambra State security vote account as an Account Officer and identified several private companies – Nazotal Ventures, C. I. Party Ventures Nigeria Limited, Moment of Peace Ventures, Youdoo Ventures, and Eazy Diamond Limited – as recipients of funds from the account.
When questioned by Tahir about the inflows into these private companies’ accounts, Otubelu confirmed that funds were transferred from the Anambra State Security Vote Account.
He further explained, “It was used to process transactions for the Principal Secretary to the defendant.”
Otubelu clarified that the money did not reach the actual owners of the accounts.
Otubelu identified Willy Nwokoye, Principal Secretary to Obiano, and Theophilus Nweze, the Government House Accountant, as the signatories to the security vote account.
He testified that Nwokoye directed the disbursement of funds and sometimes instructed him to deliver cash directly to Obiano.
“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,” Otubelu added, noting that he occasionally encountered top security personnel while delivering funds to Obiano.
Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), Otubelu stated that the Anambra State Government did not operate the accounts of the private companies.
He emphasized that it was the Principal Secretary who requested the accounts for discreet security transactions.
Another witness, Hayatu Adejo, a bureau de change (BDC) operator, testified that his company, Connaught Nigeria Limited, received funds from Anambra State. Adejo explained that the payments were facilitated by a colleague named Ayuba, to whom he sold dollars.
“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,” Adejo said.
Under cross-examination, Adejo maintained that his transactions were legitimate business dealings and denied any direct dealings with Obiano.
The case has been adjourned until October 7 for further hearing.