- Fresh charges against me politically motivated – Ex-governor
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has filed N2.9 billion fraud charges against former Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha.
This is coming hours after the former governor officially declared his presidential bid for 2023.
He was charged alongside Anyim Nyerere Chinenye, Naphtali International Limited, Perfect Finish Multi Projects Limited, Consolid Projects Consulting Limited, Pramif International Limited, and Legend World Concepts Limited.
In the 17 counts filed on Monday at the Federal High Court, Abuja, EFCC alleged that they conspired to steal N2.9 billion public funds.
Okorocha was in April 2019 grilled by EFCC for two days over alleged financial fraud.
Also in August 2019, EFCC grilled the senator after tracing some properties to him, including residential estates, schools, and shopping malls.
Among the sealed property and investments traced to Okorocha in July 2019 were Rochas Foundation College, Owerri, East High Primary and Secondary school, Owerri which belonged to Okorocha’s first daughter, Uloma Nwosu, and All-In Supermarket, Owerri, Imo State.
In the run-up to the last general elections, the EFCC had placed Okorocha under investigation for allegedly withdrawing over N1bn from the state government coffers to aid the campaign activities of his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, during the governorship polls in Imo state.
The commission also arrested the state Accountant-General, Uzoho Casmir, for allegedly assisting Okorocha to withdraw the funds.
Meanwhile, Okorocha has described the fresh fraud charges against him by the anti graft body as being false and politically motivated.
He spoke on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ programme.
He said, “The story of Rochas and EFCC and the story of Rochas and Imo State have been a long-dragging one. Actually, I am not aware of N2.8 billion suit but what I do know is that the stage I find myself with EFCC is that I have an order against EFCC from Federal High Court on my human rights abuses and the EFCC refused to obey that order. Again, the EFCC asked the judge to recuse himself or resign from the case.
“It’s been one drama or the other but what is happening, I don’t want to say it is politically motivated but it is looking more like it. EFCC is an investigation agency but EFCC should please try and not make it look like a political issue and obey simple court directives. They should try and investigate the matter and get real facts before they start advancing some of the actions they take.
“Now, I am declaring today and they are filing a case against me today, that goes a long way that there is some kind of political undertone in this matter.
“I have my respect for EFCC and I want them to do the proper thing, it will help our nation and the image of our government.”
Okorocha had been grilled a few times by the anti-graft agency over alleged financial fraud and some of his property and those owned by his family members had been taken over by the government of his successor, Hope Uzodinma, but Okorocha continued to maintain that he is not guilty of any of the allegations as no court of law in the country has declared him guilty.
The Punch
