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economic and financial crimes Commission
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efcc on Monday presented before a
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federal High Court sitting in Abuja its
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ninth witness who happened to be a staff
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of the Central Bank of Nigeria TBN over
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the allegations of money laundering and
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ement of 4 billion naira from the
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coffers of an amate government by the
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immediate past Governor Willie obiano to
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which the night witness claimed that the
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three out of the 23 companies the efcc
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alleged OBO used to commit the fraud
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were not licensed by the CBN adding that
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the three companies had since been
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listed as one of the financial operators
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in the country this also followed the
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testimonies of the third and fourth
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Witnesses presented by the efcc last
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year that alleged they were bringing
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physical cash in millions to the
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embattled former Governor details of the
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report as presented by the public
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relations unit of the economic and
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financial crimes commission efcc reads
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below alleged 4 billion Naas fraud OB on
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licensed companies for fraud witness the
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trial of Willie obiano former governor
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of anambra state continued on Monday
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February 24th 2025 before Justice inyan
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echo of the federal High Court Abuja
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with the economic and financial crimes
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commission efcc presenting its ninth
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witness obana is facing prosecution by
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the efcc on nine count charges of embas
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onment and money laundering to the tune
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of N4 billion at Monday back courot s
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proceedings the efcc called prosecution
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witness 9 pw9 Andre Ali a staff of the
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Central Bank of Nigeria CBN and head of
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the license office who revealed that
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three companies out of the 23 Company
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accounts connected with the alleged 4
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billion nairas fraud were not duly
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licensed with the CBN to carry out B
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they change business Ali while being
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Leed in evidence by prosecution Council
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sosia son disclosed that con
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international service Sy Panda
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Enterprise and zigga ziga Trading
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Company were not licensed to carry out
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BDC business adding that ziga has been
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the listed from the CBN license list
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2014 sometimes around April
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2023 we received two letters from the
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efcc regarding some 23 financial
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institutions to know if there were
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licensed or not I recall forwarding the
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two letters to the desk officer who upon
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review said we have received such
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letters in the past before so we
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comprehensively replied the efcc in a
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letter dated May 21st 2023 and as seen
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in the letter of our response out of 23
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companies three of them were not
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registered he said the eight Page Letter
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From the efcc and the response were
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admitted in evidence and marked as
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exhibit A1 A8 while being cross-examined
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onu son Al recall that ziga ziga Trading
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Company did not meet the licensing
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2014 once you do not meet the
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requirements you are the listed it is in
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public knowledge that we only supervise
3:19
the people that are licensed once you
3:22
are not on our list we lose the power to
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supervise you we run public notice to
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sensitize the public not to operate with
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unlicensed companies which is also on
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our website he stated further that it is
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stated clearly in section 15 and 19 of
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the CBN revised operational guidelines
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2015 our work is to regulate and
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supervise them once you do not meet the
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requirement of renewable licensing you
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will be the listed and we publish it on
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our validatory list which is on our
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website BS also have operational
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accounts which they do business with
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they are not allowed to do business
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without those accounts he revealed
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Justice Echo adjurned the matter to
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February 26 2025 for continuation of
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trial how we supplied OB cash from State
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security vots Witnesses the trial of
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Willie obiano former governor of anambra
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state continued on June 26 2024 before
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Justice inyang echo of the first Federal
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High Court Abuja with two prosecution
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witnesses disclosing how the supplied
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obano cash in both naira and dollars
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through his Proxes uguk chinu
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prosecution witness pw3 and a former
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Banker between November 2 2008 to March
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26 2023 who was the account manager of
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the an state government accounts
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including the State security vote
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account told the court that he usually
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delivered raw cash in both and US
5:00
dollars to OBO in line with the
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instructions given to him by winie u
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andos m Obo's former principal secretary
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and accountant at the state government's
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house respectively who were signatories
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to the security vots account I usually
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process transactions with the principal
5:17
secretary either daily or weekly mostly
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using the instruments of checks I will
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go to his office on Fridays to balance
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the account all the transactions I
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carried out were usually based on the
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instructions given to him by the account
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holders he said further in his testimony
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the pw3 stated that sometimes around
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July 2021 I was called by the compliance
5:44
officer that they received an invitation
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from efcc regarding an ongoing
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investigation into the administration of
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the anambra state government Security
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vots account in the course of the
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investigation I was asked to provide
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details into some other accounts that I
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managed which included Udo Ventures
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Limited moment of Peace limited easy
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Diamond integrated links limited CI
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party Manch Nigeria limited expressive
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consult Nigeria limited among others
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documents relating to those accounts
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were marked pw3 a12 a215 tender and
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admitted in evidence in the same Van Ha
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to Hasan a businessman and Pro ution
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witness for pw4 who operates five b
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change companies namely SRI BDC limited
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CC limited conal International Services
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Limited H limited and nor limited
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disclosed that he met a total sum of
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222,000 vyers 222 mil
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371,000 available in dollar equivalent
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to the government of and I'm rested on
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obano sometimes last year I was invited
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by the efcc Abuja office and I was asked
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if I had any business with the anambra
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state government and I said no then the
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person interviewing me showed me that my
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company kot International Services
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Limited has done some transactions with
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the state government he showed me some
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payments in seven transactions that were
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done in my kot account two different
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transactions were in February 2018 about
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371 naira and it was for
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us the other one was in March 2018 for
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50 million Nas and it was for
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$600,000 and Nira equivalent of $222
8:09
371,000 I sold the dollars to ayuba Tano
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another BDC operator as soon as the
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transaction was done I handed over the
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dollars to aayba Tano I didn't know it
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was from the anambra state government he
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