The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has charged former Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano with money laundering offences involving stealing of over N4 billion from the state’s security vote account.
He denied the charges contained in nine counts during his arraignment before the trial judge, Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday.
He faces nine counts of money laundering, including bypassing of financial institution in several unlawful cash transactions involving money allegedly stolen from the state’s account. The amount of cash involved in the transactions were said to be beyond legally permitted cash limits.
The charges also involve spending of funds allegedly stolen from the state’s security vote account for other purposes. The judge, Mr Ekwo, granted him bail, ordering him not to leave the country unless with express permission of the court throughout the period of his trial.
The judge fixed 4 March for commencement of trial.
Mr Obiano, who was governor from March 2014 to March 2022, allegedly diverted the money from the state’s account dedicated to security funds in his last five years in office.
He allegedly directed the diversion of the total N4,006,573,350 (about N billion) from the state’s account between April 2017 and March 2022, and spent the money for “purposes unrelated/unconnected with the security affairs of Anambra State”.
The funds, according to EFCC, were diverted through companies “that had no business relationship with the Anambra State Government,” converted to dollars and handed over to the former governor in dollar cash.
Credit: premiumtimesng.com
