The 10th prosecution witness, Udochukwu Okparache, has denied awareness of N860 million allegedly deposited into his company’s account by the Anambra State Government during the ongoing trial of former Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano.
Okparache, the owner of Youdooh Ventures Limited, made this revelation before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday while being led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir (SAN).
The witness, a general contractor, said he was unaware of the large sum of money until he was invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for questioning in April 2023.
According to him, when he confronted his bank account officer about the transactions, he was told that the money was meant to boost his account status to facilitate his travel abroad.
“Immediately, I called my account officer, who told me that he was boosting my account. The inflows were made through Manager’s cheques, and the outflows were done by individuals,” Okparache testified.
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He further revealed that although his company had no contract with the Anambra State Government, the total amount that passed through his account was N860 million, with several companies including Cherish Ventures Limited, Easy Demands Limited, and Chief Mrs. Eberechi Willie Obiano, the former governor’s wife, benefiting from the transactions.
Under cross-examination by the defence counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), Okparache admitted he did not report the suspicious transactions to the bank, stating that he believed his account was merely being boosted.
He, however, denied any personal connection to Obiano or knowledge of who authorized the transactions.
Justice Ekwo adjourned the case to May 26, 27, and 28, 2025, for the continuation of the trial.
Obiano is currently facing nine-count charges of money laundering, diversion of public funds, and corruption amounting to N4 billion.