Okey Anyikwa, counsel to Senator Rochas Okorocha, has described as another political witch-hunt, the interim forfeiture order obtained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on one of the properties belonging to the former Imo State governor.
The counsel argued that the property was acquired in 2007 before Okorocha became governor in 2011.
A Federal High Court in Abuja had given a go-ahead to the anti-graft agency to seize a property located in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, belonging to Okorocha.
The order was given after the commission convinced the court that its investigation showed that sometime in 2018, Abtisal Global Ltd and Archivisual Solution Ltd, companies in which Okorocha is believed to have interest, received N222 million from the treasury of the Imo State Government to develop and improve on the said property.
In its suit seeking the forfeiture of the property, the EFCC had told the court that it suspected that the property was acquired with illegal proceeds.
In a statement on Friday, Anyikwa explained that the property in contention was acquired by the Imo lawmaker in 2007 by Etha Venture, a company with limited liability.
The lawyer described it as laughable, the move by the anti-corruption commission to take possession of a property worth over N15 billion because of N220 million which the former governor was said to have taken from the Imo State treasury to renovate the building.
The Counsel added in the statement, “We learnt that the EFCC went to confiscate a property belonging to Okorocha after they got an interim forfeiture order.
“Our investigation showed that the property was acquired by a company, Etcha Venture, a limited liability company in 2007, so it cannot be said that the property belongs to Okorocha entirely.
“EFCC is claiming that N220 million was used to renovate the building, but I am aware that the property was put to use as a hotel that has been funding the Rochas Foundation Colleges for over 20 years.
“In as much as the matter is subjudice, common logic shows that it is nothing but the political vendetta against the person of Okorocha.”
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