money laundering: Okorocha engages five SANS, seeks N1bn damages

Former governor of Imo State,)

Okorocha representing Imo Senatorial Region in the National Assembly also demanded N1 billion damages from the State Government for the May 24 2022 attack on his residence.

The EFCC and the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), have been named as the first and second respondents in a human rights case filed by a constitutional lawyer and human rights activist, Dr. Mike Ozekhome (SAN)).

With Ozekhome’s involvement in the services, Okorkcha now has five top Nigerian lawyers to defend him.

Ozekhome’s case came to light a few hours after Okorocha appeared in the Abuja High Court in which he denied N2.9 billion corruption charges leveled against him by the EFCC.

Ozekhome wants a declaration that the siege of Okorocha’s residence at No.3 Nyasa Close, Mississippi, near Ontario Crescent on May 24, 2022 without legal reasons, thus deprives him of his legal right to privacy was illegal.

He also wants the court to issue a court order requiring defendants to apologize to at least three national newspapers.

Earlier, Okorocha had been indicted on 17 counts of embezzling N2.9 billion from the state’s Imo State House Accounts and Imo State Local Government Joint accounts.

The alleged crime was allegedly committed by Okorocha and Anyim Inyerere through their private companies between 2014 and 2016 during his tenure as governor of Imo State.

Despite pleading not guilty to the charges, Okorocha has already worked with four Nigerian Advocates, including Okey Amaechi, Solomon Umor, Ola Olanipekun and Kehinde Ogunwumiju to protect him from the harsh allegations against him.

Shortly after his application, EFCC attorney Gbolahan Latona asked the judge to adjourn the case so that he could assemble his witnesses to testify during the trial.

He told the court that 15 witnesses were scheduled to testify against the incumbent All Progressives Congress and that most of the witnesses were out of court due to a rare case.

Okorocha’s lawyer, Okey Amaechi, told the court he had applied for his client’s bail and had done the same with the EFCC.

He tried to oppose the application but was opposed by an anti-affiliate organization that said it intended to file an anti-bail affidavit.

Although the EFCC’s lawyer wants the June 1 adjournment to be granted bail, Justice Ekwo has decided to take all bail applications on May 31 and ordered the EFCC to try to file a counter-appeal.

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Judge Inyang Ekwo then ordered that Okorocha be re-arrested until May 31 when his bail application would be challenged.