 to stop harassing him over alleged misappropriation of N2.9 billion.){kind=link}
Former Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, yesterday, met with President Muhammadu Buhari to seek his intervention for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to stop harassing him over alleged misappropriation of N2.9 billion.
Speaking to newsmen after his meeting with the President, Okorocha lamented that notwithstanding a subsisting court order restraining the EFCC from prosecuting him, the anti-graft agency had continued to ‘harass’ him hence his visit to seek the President’s assistance.
Moneycentral recalled that shortly after Okorocha declared interest to contest the nation’s presidency in 2023, the EFCC reportedly filed a 17-count fraud charges against him at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
In the charges, Okorocha, who now represents Imo West Senatorial District in the Ninth National Assembly, allegedly misappropriated N2.9 billion public funds through connivance with some individuals and companies.
He hinged his decision to meet Buhari on the grounds that he wanted justice to prevail in the matter, even as he also sought the immediate release of his international passport still being held by EFCC officials.
“The President said he would take up the matter, especially when he saw the judgment. He said he will take up the matter and find out what is actually happening. And I hope and believe that he will do so,” he said.
On whether his ordeal was being orchestrated by his detractors, he said an emphatic “I suspect so’.
His words: “I said it is politically motivated and that some people are instigating the EFCC to do this, which is wrong. All I’m asking from the EFCC is to obey the law.
“And you cannot refuse to obey the law on one side, and then go for the law on the other side. So, if EFCC obeys the law, it will be the best thing they can do for its image and the image of the country.
“But as to who is particularly behind this, the person must be a coward who doesn’t want to expose himself. And there are people like that who wouldn’t want to expose themselves, but stay under and do all kinds of things. I call them cowards, because they cannot stand up to what they believe in.”
He, however, said at this point, it was more important that the EFCC should obey the court order on the matter.