The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been directed by a federal high court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to halt any planned prosecution of Senator Rochas Okorocha of Imo West.
Okorocha had addressed the court, presided over by Stephen Pam, through his lawyer, Ola Olanipekun, requesting the implementation of several rulings already made in his favor in a dispute between him and the EFCC.
According to Olanipekun, the court granted his client’s requests on December 6, 2021, and ordered the EFCC to stop prosecuting Okorocha after criticizing the agency’s investigating procedure.
The court had also prohibited the EFCC from investigating or carrying out any other action against the former governor while asking the anti-graft agency to release his passport and any other travel documents.
At the resumption of proceedings yesterday, Olanipekun said he returned to the same court 4 to seek the protection of his client’s rights because the EFCC has refused to obey any of the three orders earlier made.
He accused the EFCC of filing new charges against his client recently, based on the same investigation that the court had invalidated in December.
N.A. Dodo, the EFCC counsel, pleaded with the court for time to respond to the processes.
He denied that the EFCC was acting in defiance of the court’s decision, saying the commission had invited Okorocha to pick up his international passport and travel documents, but that the former Imo governor had failed to respond.
Pam, the trial judge, however, said he was not happy with the attitude of the EFCC on the matter, noting that he would not tolerate contempt.
“I take exception to disobedience. Your organization (EFCC) should not do anything to the applicant until this matter is determined,” he said.
“What is the order? Obey it. If you are not okay with the judgment, go and appeal it. Don’t allow the drama that took place in my court in the matter between Peter Odili and Nigeria Immigration to take place here.”
