Court okays suit seeking Okorocha’s probe

A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted a request to compel the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to among others, investigate the administration of Rochas Okorocha as Imo State Governor.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed, in a ruling on 3rd March, 2020, granted leave for the applicants – Incorporated Trustees of Kingdom Human Rights Foundation International and Rights for All International to proceed with their case.

Justice Mohammed ordered the applicants to serve a copy of the order granting them leave and other substantive documents in the suit on the defendants.

The judge adjourned till March 17 for hearing.

Joined in the suit are the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Okorocha, Zigreat International Company Limited, Eze Stanley Enwereku and Duru Cyriacus Onyeobi.

The plaintiffs, in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/130/2020, filed by their lawyer, K. M. Okere, are seeking to compel the EFCC to investigate Okorocha and others over sundry allegations of financial impropriety while in office.

They claimed to have petitioned the EFCC in 2019, but alleged that the anti-graft agency had failed to act on the petition.

The plaintiffs stated that by their suit for judicial review, they asked the court to order the EFCC to “investigate the allegation of corruption, money laundering, inflated contract, unlawful award of contract without due process and breach of Procurement Act, criminal over-inflation of contracts fully paid for with public funds against the 2nd to the 5th defendants in this suit, as contained in the plaintiffs’ petition dated 22nd August 2019.”  (New Telegraph)