By Gideon Njoku
Unless the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, decides to obey Court Oders against them in favour of a former Governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha, according to him, there are fears that two things might happen. The anti-graft Commission could arrest him, or the trial Judge in a case filed against him by the EFCC could issue a warrant of arrest on him.
The EFCC had filed a 17-count charge against Okorocha and others, before a Federal High Court, Abuja, ironically on January 31, the day he addressed a World Press Conference, and declared interest in succeeding President Muhammadu Buhari in office in 2023.
On February 20, when Okorocha and Co. were arraigned in Court before the Hon. Justice Inyang Ekwo, Okorocha was not present. Of all those charged to Court by the EFCC, he was the only one absent when the case was called up, prompting the Court not to hear the case, and forcing an adjournment.
The Counsel to the EFCC, Cosmas Ugwu, proffered a reason. He told the Judge that Okorocha has not been served the Court papers because he has been deliberately evading being served. Ugwu said all efforts made to serve him personally has been thwarted by the Security personnel attached to the former Governor who is currently the Senator representing Imo West in the Senate.
Ugwu: “My Lord, the matter would have been for the arraignment of the defendants but the first defendant (Okorocha) is not in Court.
“Effecting service on him has been difficult, but we have served all other defendants.”
Ugwu asked for more time to enable the service of the Court papers on Okorocha, and arraignment was adjourned to March 28, 2022.
Okorocha was charged to court along with Anyim Nyerere Chinenye, Naphtali International Ltd, Perfect Finish Multi Projects Ltd, Consolid Projects Consulting Ltd, Pramif International Limited, and Legend World Concepts Ltd.
They are alleged to have between 2014 and 2016, within the period Okorocha was the Governor of Imo State, conspired to criminally embezzle public funds belonging to the Imo State Government, to the tune of N2.9 billion.
But Okorocha claims persecution by the EFCC and the Imo State Government both of which he says are owing him the sums of N500m and eight billion Naira respectively.
He says the EFCC owes him from Court judgments, while the IMSG owes him for Security Votes he claimed not to have taken for the eight years he was in office.
He has, according to him, reported the EFCC to President Muhammadu Buhari, who, he said, assured him he would intervene.
He also said he has a couple of Court orders stopping EFCC from harassing him.
However, there are fears that either the Commission could go after him if he does not show up in Court on the adjourned date, or that the Court could issue a warrant of arrest.
