The Judicial Commission of Inquiry on Contracts was at its last sitting, given a graphic account of how the former Imo State governor. Rochas Owelle Okorocha, prompted the owner of Zigreat International Company Limited, Mr. Stanley Enwereaku, to lie to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Enwereaku gave the startling account while answering questions from the witness box.
“When the EFCC invited my company to come to their office in Enugu, the former governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha, begged me to inform EFCC that Zigreat actually did all the contracts listed against its name”, Enwereaku said.
While affirming that he told the anti-graft agency lies so as to defend Okorocha, Enwereaku also said that on his return from Enugu, the former governor not only thanked him for defending the administration. “When I returned from Enugu, the governor thanked me for a job well done. He then directed me to coach other contractors on how to tell the EFCC lies”, Enwereaku said.
Imo Contract Award Probe: Okorocha Turns Down Panel Invitations Again
Continuing, the Zigreat owner lamented that officials of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, are presently going after him for an N100 million that accrued from the huge transactions in the company’s account.
“I have been contesting this tax and explaining to them (FIRS) that I only shared money to specific persons and companies and that I never executed any contract”, Enwereaku said.
While accepting that what he did was fraudulent, the Zigreat owner however maintained that whatever he did was as directed by Okorocha. “I am now planning to go back to EFCC to correct all the lies I told them. My evidence before this commission contradicts what I told the EFCC. I am afraid of what EFCC will do to me, but I will still go and tell them the truth, in order to be free from this burden”, Enwereaku said.
Responding to another question, the witness said he was under real pressure from Okorocha, even as he quickly added that he is “no longer in talking terms with Okorocha since I started revealing what actually happened, to this commission”. After taking evidence from Enwereaku, the Commission’s Chairman, Justice Benjamin Iheka said: “The inquiry from this witness is hereby closed.
EFCC Releases 5.7bn Out Of N7.9bn Seized From Okorocha
However, the witness is not discharged of the subpoena on him, until after Principal Secretary to the former governor, Dr. Paschal Obi, has been recalled to react to the testimonies of this witness.
“Accordingly, an inquiry from this witness is hereby adjourned to June 26, 2020, on a date the said Principal Secretary is expected to be recalled.”
Post Disclaimer
The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author and forum participants on this website do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Anaedo Online or official policies of the Anaedo Online.