By Deborah Onyofufeke
A preliminary objection filed by Sen. Rochas Okorocha, praying for an order from a Federal High Court Abuja against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s in the N2.9 billion charge against him has been fixed for Nov. 22 for hearing.
The trial Judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, had fixed the date on Monday, to allow EFCC’s counsel, G.K. Latona, to respond to the preliminary objection filed by Okorocha’s counsel Ola Olanipekun, SAN.
Okorocha had given six grounds why the suit should be dismissed, stating that the suit is an unlawful, baseless, oppressive and gross abuse of the process of the court.
The lawmaker sought an order from the court that will discharge and/or acquit him as stated in his prayer (1) supra.
Okorocha’s counsel Ola Olanipekun, SAN, had argued that the investigation “on which the said charge was predicated, was the subject matter of suit number: FCH/PH/FHR/165/2021 wherein the Hon. Court, Coram Pam, J. had, in the final judgment at the suit of the applicant. declared unlawful and made an order prohibiting the EFCC from further proceeding.”
He, therefore, said that the present charge “is an abuse of prosecutorial powers and judicial process, as the said declaratory and prohibitory orders were and are still extant, at all times material, before and after the preferment of the charge,” among others.
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Okorocha was arraigned by the EFCC agency on May 30 on a 17-count charge.
The EFCC had said it received an intelligence report about criminal diversion, abuse of office and money laundering against Okorocha while running the affairs of the Imo State government. The commission noted that the investigations made by the antigraft agency had confirmed the reason for Okorocha’s arrest to be true.
The judge, who said that the application would be taken in the next adjourned date, ordered all parties to file and serve necessary processes before the scheduled date.
Okorocha, in the application, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/28/22 dated and filed on Oct. 28 , had prayed for an order quashing the charge and/or all counts of the charge preferred against him as a result of the investigation by the EFCC into his activities while in office as governor of Imo between 2011 and 2019.
Okorocha, the 1st defendant in the suit was arraigned alongside Anyim Nyerere Chinenye, Naphtali International Limited, Perfect Finish Multi Projects Limited, Console Projects Consulting Limited, Pramif International Limited, and Legend World Concepts Limited as 2nd to 7th defendants respectively.
He was alleged to have laundered funds to the tune of N2.9 billion while serving as governor of Imo.
Justice Ekwo, on May 31, had admitted Okorocha and his codefendants, Chinenye to bail in the sum of N500 million with one surety in like sum.
