The Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee, EFCC, on Thursday on the Federal Excessive Courtroom in Abuja accused former governor of Anambra State, Willie Maduabuchi Obiano of evading companies of courtroom course of within the N40 billion alleged fraud costs towards him.
Lead counsel to the anti-graft company and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Sylvanus Tahir made the accusation on the resumption of trial of the previous governor within the corruption costs towards him.
Tahir knowledgeable Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo that in compliance with the order of the Courtroom made on Monday, he filed a counter affidavit to oppose the bid by Obiano to problem the territorial jurisdiction of the Courtroom to prosecute him.
The senior lawyer, nonetheless, lamented that efforts to serve the counter affidavit on the previous governor by means of his lawyer on Wednesday as ordered by courtroom have been unsuccessful.
He knowledgeable the Courtroom that his crew was on Wednesday on the Chamber of Dr Onyechi Ikpeazu SAN, lead counsel to Obiano however that the gate to the workplace was firmly locked.
Tahir mentioned he personally phoned two of the defendant attorneys however he was instructed they have been at a Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.
The lawyer claimed that as a result of circumstances, he was solely capable of serve the counter affidavit on the defendant contained in the courtroom room on Thursday.
He requested the courtroom to proceed to listen to the movement of the previous governor difficult the territorial jurisdiction of the Courtroom together with the counter affidavit.
Nonetheless, Patrick Ikweto SAN who represented Obiano at Thursday’s proceedings confirmed being served and pleaded for an adjournment to allow him reply to the EFCC’s counter affidavit.
Justice Ekwo granted the request and stuck March 13 for listening to of Obiano’s movement on territorial jurisdiction.
The previous governor, who served two phrases in Anambra State, was arraigned earlier than the courtroom over alleged embezzlement of state funds amounting to N40 billion.
A part of the cost reads, “that Chief Willie Maduabuchi Obiano, while being the manager governor of Anambra State between March 2014 — March 2022, someday between ninth August, 2017 to 4th March, 2020 in Abuja, throughout the jurisdiction of this Honourable Courtroom, not directly transferred by means of Mr Willie Nwokoye, your then principal personal secretary, the sum of N261,268,585.00 solely from the Anambra State Authorities Safety Vote Account into the account belonging to Simple Diamond Built-in Hyperlink (an entity that had no enterprise relationship with the Anambra State Authorities), which funds have been dissipated for functions unrelated / unconnected with the safety affairs of Anambra State, which you fairly must have identified that such funds shaped a part of the proceeds of your illegal act, to wit: (Stealing and Corruption) and also you thereby dedicated an offence opposite to Part 15 (2) (b) of the Cash Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) in 2012 and punishable below Part 15 (3) of the identical Act.”
