Breaking: Court Gives Verdict on EFCC's Fraud Charges against Okorocha

• A suit by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against a former governor of Imo state, Rochas Okorocha, has been dismissed by the court
• An FCT High Court dismissed the case and described the EFCC’s charges of fraud and abuse of office against Okorocha as an abuse of the judicial process
• Okorocha, 60 served as governor of Imo state from 2011 to 2019 and aspired to be president of Nigeria in the past

FCT, Abuja - An FCT high court sitting in Abuja on Friday, July 14, dismissed the suit filed by EFCC against the former governor of Imo state, Rochas Okorocha.

The EFCC had instituted a criminal charge of fraud on the former which they alleged he committed during his tenure as the governor of Imo state, Television Continental reported.

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Court dismisses EFCC’s case against Okorocha

This will be the 3rd judgment that will be delivered by a court of competent jurisdiction on charges of fraud filed by the EFCC against the former governor.

The Federal High Court, Abuja, had on 6th February, discharged Senator Okorocha, of N2.9 billion fraud charges preferred against him by the EFCC.

According to Channels Television, Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a ruling, struck out the charges for contravening section 105 (3) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, which gives the Attorney-General of the Federation the power to recall a case.

Justice Ekwo held that the directive of the AGF in a letter dated 12th September 2022, to the EFCC to forward the case file with its comments on the issues for consideration and review, was binding on the commission.

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The court agreed with Senator Okorocha that the earlier judgement of a court of coordinate jurisdiction sitting in Port Harcourt between him and EFCC, restraining the agency from further proceeding on the alleged offence subsists.

Justice Stephen Pam, of the federal high court in port harcourt, had declared it unlawful and made an order prohibiting the EFCC from further prosecuting Senator Okoracha.

Delivering judgment Justice Yusuf Halilu held that an order made by a court of competent jurisdiction is valid until it is set aside.

The EFCC should have appealed the judgment of the federal high court as the pronouncement made by the judges remains law.

The suit filed by the EFCC is an abuse of the court process.

The charges before the court are consequently dismissed for being an abuse of the court process.

APC chieftain Rochas Okorocha gets favourable judgement in court, cleared of N2.9bn fraud charge

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Okorocha was cleared of the alleged N2.9 billion fraud charges levelled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

As reported by Daily Trust, Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, February 6, struck out the EFCC suit against the lawmaker.

Source: Legit.ng