Former Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, has been refused to make himself available to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for questioning over allegations of fraud despite invitation, the anti-graft agency has said.
The acting spokesman of the EFCC, Tony Orilade, said in a statement yesterday that its Enugu Zonal Office had on Tuesday, July 23, 2019, marked some properties traced to Okorocha, his family members and cronies.
Orilade said marking of the properties is as a result of the failure of the suspects to honour the commission’s invitation for questioning on the propriety of their acquisition.
He said the properties include: Dews of Hope Hospital traced to Dr Paschal Obi, former Principal Secretary to ex-governor Okorocha; Market Square Super Market; All in One Shop; and premises belonging to Imo State Broadcasting Corporation now hosting Rochas Foundation College owned by Senator Okoroacha.
Others are: East High Academy and East High College, owned by Okorocha’s daughter, Uloma Okorocha-Nwosu; Royal Spring Palm Hotel and Apartment, a 16 block cum 96 flats and eight bungalows multi-million Naira estate traced to Okorocha’s wife.
Orilade said the EFCC neither “raided” nor “harassed” anyone in the course of marking the properties as its operatives, in line with international best practices, inform the occupants of the facilities in good time, before taking the action.
He said the Commission has pictorial and video evidence which put a lie to the claim that Rochas Foundation College was allegedly raided by the EFCC while in session.
He said this could not be so because the school was not in session and could not have had its students harassed as was fed some online media.
