A suit filed by Rochas Okorocha, the former governor of Imo State seeking to stop the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from investigating multiple allegations of financial fraud against him has been thrown out by a federal high court in Abuja.
The Imo state government had set up a panel to review all financial transactions of the state during the eight-year administration of Okorocha.
The committee reported in May this year that it had uncovered a whopping N112.8 billion “dubious debts” owed the state by nine commercial banks.
The activities of the Imo probe panel is independent of a separate investigation launched by the EFCC. The anti-graft agency is reportedly looking into several allegations of financial fraud against the former governor and members of his immediate family.
Okorocha had filed a suit in May seeking an order to stop the respondents from probing “the purported financial infractions”.
The senator representing Imo West in the national assembly prayed the court to “direct the 1st defendant (EFCC) and the 3rd to the 10th defendants (the Imo state attorney-general (AG) and the Justice Iheaka-led probe panel on contract awards) to stay all further actions and proceedings until the 2nd defendant (the state AG) decides who should carry out the investigation.”
According to him, it is unconstitutional for the EFCC and the panel of inquiry to investigate him at the same time on the basis of the same facts.
At the court session on Wednesday, Joseph Madu, who represented the Imo state AG and the 3rd to 48th respondents, challenged the jurisdiction of the court to entertain Okorocha’s suit.
Madu referred the court to a recent circular by the chief judge of the federal high court that all matters should be transferred to where the cause of action arose from.
“We are humbly applying that this matter is transferred to Owerri division of this court where the cause of action arose from,” he said.
Madu advised the panel to suspend proceedings pending when the issue of jurisdiction is determined.
However, Oba Maduabuchi, counsel to Okorocha, quickly interjected and urged the court to reject the application which he said was aimed at frustrating his case.
He prayed the court for an interim order directing all defendants to stop all their activities, pending when the motion on notice is heard and decided.
Ruling on the applications, Ahmed Mohammed, the judge, refused Okorocha’s request for a restraining order.
Mohammed also aligned with the undertaking by Madu to advise the probe panels to suspend sitting pending when the court decides whether or not it has jurisdiction to hear Okorocha’s suit.
The case was adjourned till July 14 for further hearing.
Since leaving office in May 2019, the former governor has been battling his successors who he alleged are witch-hunting him, confiscating assets belonging to him and members of his family including plots of lands in choice parts of Owerri, schools and business establishments.