The Anambra State authorities has opposed the trial of former governor of the state, Willie Obiano, by the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee.
The EFCC on January 24 charged Obiano with 9 fees bordering on theft of N4 billion.
Within the indictment, the EFCC accused Obiano of diverting the safety votes of Anambra State to the tune of N4,008,573,350 whereas he was governor between 2014 and 2022.
Following his arraignment on the Federal Excessive Courtroom in Abuja, Justice Inyang Ekwo allowed him to proceed the executive bail granted to him by the EFCC however restricted the ex-governor's freedom of motion to Abuja.
Justice Ekwo ordered the EFCC to deposit Obiano's journey paperwork with the registrar.
A day after the arraignment, the incumbent Governor of Anambra State, Chukwuma Soludo, paid Obiano in Abuja.
Writing on his Fb web page, Soludo mentioned: “Immediately, within the firm of the Nationwide APGA Chairman, Ezeokenwa Sly Jr., I paid a solidarity go to to my revered predecessor, Chief Willie Obiano, in Abuja.
“The 2-hour dialog was precious time properly spent. By His grace this too will go.”
On the resumption of proceedings on Thursday, Obiano's lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), knowledgeable Justice Ekwo that the Anambra State authorities was towards Obiano's trial by the EFCC.
The SAN knowledgeable the courtroom of an enchantment filed on March 3 by the state authorities difficult the authority of the EFCC to analyze and take a look at Obiano.
Ikpeazu mentioned: “The topic of the grievance is in regards to the accountability for the safety voting funds.
The Honorable Courtroom doesn’t have the requisite jurisdiction to take care of problems with legal responsibility for the safety voting funds.
“An enchantment has been filed by the Anambra State Authorities, difficult the powers of the EFCC to analyze the safety vote of the Anambra State Authorities.
“The predilection for your entire indictment is in unhealthy religion.”
Ikepazu additionally said that there was no testimony from any witness to point that Obiano issued directives for the disbursement of safety votes and different funds belonging to the Anambra State Authorities.
He mentioned: “There isn’t any proof from any witness to indicate that the defendant/applicant issued directives on the disbursement of safety votes and different funds belonging to the Anambra State Authorities.
“The defendant/applicant can’t be held liable for alleged illegal acts of officers of the Anambra State Authorities as there isn’t any vicarious legal responsibility in our felony jurisprudence.
“The prosecutor's considering and conclusion in regards to the information had been primarily based on hypothesis and suspicion. This honorable courtroom has inherent judicial powers to grant all of the reliefs requested above.”
In the meantime, the N4bn theft trial was halted for the second time on Thursday because of the lack of ability of Obiano's lawyer to answer a counter affidavit filed by the prosecution.
The case, which was initially scheduled to be heard on March 5, had stalled resulting from Obiano's request to problem the courtroom's territorial jurisdiction to listen to the case.
Choose Ekwo was then adjourned till Thursday to listen to the movement.
Nevertheless, through the resumed proceedings on Thursday, the EFCC Prosecutor, Sylvanus Tahir (SAN), instructed the courtroom that he initially discovered it troublesome to serve the trials towards Obiano's lead lawyer, Ikpeazu, whose workplace he mentioned was closed on the time that he visited him. .
The prosecutor instructed the courtroom that he then known as one other lawyer in Ikpeazu's workplace, who knowledgeable him that his director had been appointed to a Governorate Election Petitions Tribunal.
Nevertheless, he mentioned he might serve each the counter-affidavit and the written deal with on the defendant.
Nevertheless, the counsel who represented Obiano in courtroom, Patrick Ikweto (SAN), knowledgeable the courtroom that he had simply obtained the processes of the EFCC and needed to examine them and file his response.
Choose Ekwo subsequently adjourned the matter to March 13.
