The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s case against former Imo State Governor Senator Rochas Okorocha has been dismissed by a Federal Capital Territory High Court.
According to Channels, the EFCC’s claims of fraud and abuse of office were deemed an abuse of the legal process by the court.
The presiding judge, Justice Yusuf Halilu, predicated his ruling on the fact that the EFCC had previously filed identical charges against the former governor of Imo State before the Federal high court, which had ruled in favour of the former governor in December of last year.
Recall that the EFCC on the 25th of May, 2022 arrested Okorocha after laying siege to his Abuja home for seven hours.
The EFCC, in a statement by its spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said the commission had to arrest Okorocha because he had to face trial on May 30 and the judge had threatened to strike out the case if the former governor was not brought to court.
The statement read in part, “The EFCC, had on January 24, 2022 filed a 17-count criminal charge bordering on diversion of public funds and properties to the tune of N2.9bn against Okorocha.
“The case was assigned to Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja but attempts to arraign Senator Okorocha were twice stalled owing to the absence of the ex-governor who evaded service of processes.
“At the last adjourned date, March 28, 2022, Justice Ekwo before adjourning until May 30, 2022, had warned that it was ‘the last adjournment I shall grant in this matter’. In the circumstances, the commission is left with no option but to arrest Senator Okorocha and bring him to trial.”
More to come…
