A former Governor of Anambra, Willie Obiano, has challenged the jurisdiction of the Abuja Federal Excessive Courtroom to listen to the alleged fraud most well-liked in opposition to him by the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee.
The EFCC had on January 24 arraigned the previous governor on 9 prices bordering on alleged cash laundering to the tune of N4bn.
Within the prices, the EFCC alleged that Obiano diverted Anambra State’s safety votes to the tune of N4,008,573,350 whereas he was within the saddle as governor between 2014 and 2022.
The EFCC accused him of not directly transferring, by way of his Non-public Principal Secretary, N1.2bn from the state safety vote account to a different account belonging to Second of Peace Ventures, an entity with no enterprise with the state.
Also Read: Tinubu’s assertion on bribe-seeking officers unlucky -Ex-aviation minister
On the resumed listening to of the case on Monday, counsel for the EFCC, Sylvanus Tahir, instructed the court docket he was prepared for the graduation of listening to within the matter and had three witnesses to current in court docket.
However counsel for the defendant, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) instructed the court docket that he had filed a movement difficult the jurisdiction of the court docket to listen to the matter.
He urged the court docket to train its discretion to find out his movement first earlier than the graduation of trial.
When requested if he had been served the method, Tahir responded the method was served on him round 9:20 am on Monday.
He famous that he had but to file a reply consequently.
Tahir mentioned, “This course of is a blatant waste of time. The difficulty of jurisdiction has been settled by the Supreme Courtroom as soon as the cost bordered on cash laundering, the Federal Excessive Courtroom has inherent jurisdiction to attempt it.”
Nonetheless, the trial choose, Justice Inyang Ekwo, interjected and urged him to permit the court docket to take its choice on the movement.
He mentioned, “It’s not so that you can inform the court docket the Supreme Courtroom’s choice on the difficulty. Reply to the movement and go away the court docket to resolve.”
He subsequently adjourned the matter to March 7, 2024, to listen to the movement.
