A federal high court in Abuja has fixed March 7 to hear a motion filed by Willie Obiano, former Anambra state governor, challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear an alleged N4 billion fraud charge against him.
Obiano was arraigned on January 24 on a nine-count charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The former governor had pleaded not guilty and was admitted to bail by the court.
At the court session on Monday, Sylvanus Tahir, EFCC counsel, said three prosecution witnesses were ready to give evidence.
However, Onyechi Ikpeazu, the defendant’s counsel, told the court that he filed a motion challenging its jurisdiction on behalf of his client.
The motion argues that the charge ought to have been filed in Anambra and not Abuja.
The EFCC lawyer, however, said he was yet to file a reply because he was served the motion on Monday morning in court.
Tahir also said the issue of jurisdiction has been settled by the Supreme Court, which held that any federal high court can hear a money laundering charge.
Inyang Ekwo, trial judge, advised the prosecutor to do his part by filing his response to the motion.
“It is not for you to tell the court the Supreme Court’s decision on the issue. Respond to the motion and leave the court to decide,” Ekwo said.
Obiano, who was governor between March 2014 and March 2022, is said to have allegedly diverted the money from the state’s security funds account in his last five years in office.
He allegedly directed the diversion between April 2017 and March 2022.
According to the EFCC, the funds were diverted through companies with no business relationship with the Anambra government, converted to dollars, and handed to the former governor.