Court remands Okorocha in EFCC custody until Tuesday

A Federal High Court in Abuja has remanded former Imo State governor and senator representing Imo West at the National Assembly, Rochas Okorocha for alleged money laundering.

Okorocha was alleged to have laundered funds to the tune of N2.9 billion while serving as governor of Imo State.

He was arraigned on Monday alongside Anyim Nyerere Chinenye, Naphtali International Limited, Perfect Finish Multi Projects Limited, Consolid Projects Consulting Limited, Pramif International Limited, and Legend World Concepts Limited as 2nd to 7th Defendants, respectively, before Justice Inyang Ekwo.

They are being charged with 17 counts bordering on money laundry.

In his response, Okorocha, a presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), pleaded not guilty to the charges. The second defendant in the suit, Anyim Chinenye, as well as the five companies also pleaded not guilty to the charges.

After taking their plea, Okorocha’s lawyer, Mr Okey Amaechi, prayed the court to release his client on bail, pending the determination of the case against him.

READ: EFCC breaks down roof, P.O.P ceiling to arrest Rochas Okorocha

Amaechi also drew the attention of the court to the fact that his client was roughly arrested before the screening of the presidential aspirants of the APC.

But the EFCC, through its lawyer, Mr Gbolahan Latona, told the court that Okorocha raised some issues in his bail application that would require its response.

Justice Ekwo, however, ordered that Okorocha and the other accused be remanded in EFCC custody and subsequently adjourned the case until Tuesday for a hearing on the bail application. 

Following his remand by the judge, Okorocha will be spending his seventh day in EFCC custody since he was picked up by a team of operatives who stormed his residence in the Maitama area of Abuja last Tuesday.