The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has pledged to begin the prosecution of former Imo State Governor, Senator Rochas Okorocha as soon as its ongoing investigation is concluded.
The commission also remarked that it returned over N2.7 billion out of the N7.9 billion recovered from different bank accounts and assests traced to Okorocha to Imo state for payment of salaries and pension of workers.
EFCC Port Harcourt’s Zonal Head, Mr. Imam Usman revealed this in Port Harcourt while talking during a mid-year briefing on the efforts of the commission within six months.
Usman made it known that Okorocha’s prosecution was brought from Enugu state and added that properties worth billions of Naira have been forfeited to the Government.
He said: “Furthermore, upon my deployment to this zone, the investigation of corruption allegation against the former Governor of Imo State, Chief Rochas Okorocha was transferred from the Enugu Zone to Port Harcourt for further investigation.
“Within the period in review, the Commission succeeded in freezing about N7.9billion in different accounts. Out of this, N2.7billion was released to the Imo state government to enable it pay staff salaries and pensions.
“Also, properties worth billions of Naira recovered in the course of the investigation have been forfeited to the Federal Government.”
The Zonal Head also disclosed that out of the returned N2.7 billion, the former Governor of the state, Chief Emeka Ihedioha received N2.5 billion while the current Governor, Hope Uzodinma has so far received N514 million.
He said: “Only last month, N514million was further released to the incumbent administration of the state to enable it meet its obligations to workers.
“All the money released to Imo State were the monies recovered from the former Governor of the state, N7.9 billion.
“The money was released in batches. In the government of Emeka Ihedioha, we released excess of 2.5 billion for salaries and pensions. They were money recovered for the state and they have to go back to the state.
“When the Emeka left and Uzodinma came, there was still remnants of the money. It was excess of N2 billion. And we were able to release 514 million just last month to the state. Because excess of N1.8 billion is incumbent in court process because some contractors when to court and wanted some refund.
“The court process is lingering, so we still have excess of N1.8 billion that has not been released because of the court process.”
Usman disclosed that Okorocha’s investigation was at its summit and added that Okorocha will be arraigned when the investigation is concluded.
He said: “When the matter was brought from Enugu, the chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, saw the need for the continuity of that case and said we should continue the investigation.
“The investigation has gotten to an advanced stage and upon conclusion of the investigation, we are going to arraign the former Governor.
“Now also it is in course of the investigation that we targeted some of his assets. Some are in Imo, Owerri, some are in Abuja. We marked some of them for interim forfeiture. The target is to concluded investigation and he shall have his day in court.”
