Mr. Usman Imam of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] has revealed that the Commission has returned some N5.7 billion to the Imo State Government seized from the immediate-past governor, Senator Rochas Okorocha.
Senator Okorocha is currently representing Imo West Senatorial District at the National Assembly.
The Zonal Head of the commission’s zonal office in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, Usman Imam, disclosed this on Thursday.
Speaking to journalists, Imam said: “I started the Imo state case in Enugu and upon my deployment to this zone, the investigations of corruption allegations against the former Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, was transferred from the Enugu zone to Port Harcourt for further investigations.
“Within the period, the commission succeeded in freezing about N7.9 billion in different accounts.
“All the monies that were released to Imo State government were from the N7.9 billion recovered from Okorocha.
“The monies were released in batches. N2.7 billion was released in March for salaries.
In the PDP government of Emeka Ihedioha, excess of N2.5 billion upon series of writings and our insistence of monitoring it, was released to pay salaries and pensions because they were monies recovered from the state so it has to go back to the state
Then the government of Emeka left and this government came, we had a remnant of the money in excess of N2 billion.
“We were able to release N514 million just last month because excess of about N1.8 billion is encumbered with a court process.
“Contractors went to court and targeted the funds. The process is lingering. They still have excess of N1.8 billion that is not released”.
Concerning some of the senator’s properties in Imo and Abuja, Imam said they were seized and that the commission has filed a court process seeking interim forfeiture of the assets.
He disclosed that the investigation has got to an advanced stage and that the commission is expecting that the former governor will be arraign upon conclusion of investigation.
He said: “It is in the course of investigations that we targeted his assets. Some are in Imo, Owerri and some are in Abuja.
“We marked these properties in Abuja and we have filed court processes for interim forfeiture of these assets.”
Imam, who has been in charge of the ongoing probe of the former governor and Senator, asked Okorocha to get ready for his day in court.