Willie Obiano, the recently retired governor of Anambra State, has entered a not guilty plea to the nine money laundering allegations brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The amount of N4,008,573,350 is the suspected money laundering.
It was alleged that he transferred funds from security votes to other accounts.
According to reports, the offenses were committed between March 2014 and March 2022.
According to some of the counts, “That you, Chief Willie Maduabuchi Obiano, while serving as the executive governor of Anambra State, Nigeria, between March 2014 and March 2022, sometime between February 7 and February 18, 2019 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, indirectly transferred the sum of N156,800.00 only from the Anambra State Government Security Vote Account into an entity belonging to C.I. Patty Ventures Nigeria Limited (an entity that had no business relationship with the Anambra State Government).”
” These funds were disbursed for reasons unrelated to or unconnected with the state’s security affairs, and you reasonably should have known that they were part of your illicit gains. (Stealing and Corruption), and as a result, you committed an offense that was penalized under Section 15(3) of the same Act and in violation of Section 15(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) in 2012.
“That you, Chief Willie Maduabuchi Obiano, as the executive governor of the Nigerian state of Anambra between March 2014 and March 2022, at some point between August 9, 2017, and March 4, 2020 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, indirectly transferred the amount of N261,268,585.00 only from the Anambra State Government Security Vote to another country that belonged to Easy Diamond Integrated Link (an organization that had no commercial relationship with the Anambra State Government).”
“These funds were disbursed for reasons unrelated to or unconnected to the security affairs of Anambra State, and you had a reasonable expectation that they were part of the proceeds of your illicit act, to wit:(Stealing and Corruption), and as a result, you committed an offense that was penalized under Section 15(3) of the same Act and in violation of Section 15 (2) (b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) in 2012.”
Upon his arraignment on Wednesday, the former governor entered a not guilty plea to each of the nine counts when the charges were read to him.