Rochas Okorocha, former lmo Governor and APC presidential aspirant, was on Monday remanded in EFCC custody untill May 31 pending the hearing of his bail application.
Okorocha, who is facing was a 17-count charge at a Federal High Court, Abuja, is accused of diverting N2.9 billion from Imo State Government House Accounts and Imo State Local Government Joint Accounts to his private companies.
He had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Persecondnews reports that Justice Inyang Ekwo, who gave the ruling, asked Okorocha’s lawyers to appear before him on May 31 to argue the bail application.
Okorocha and one Anyim Inyerere had allegedly conspired to their private companies between 2014 and 2016 when he was the Governor of Imo.
After the “not guilty” plea, EFCC counsel, Mr Gbolahan Latona, asked the judge for an adjournment to enable him to assemble his witnesses that will testify during the trial.
He said 15 witnesses would testify against Okorocha, adding that some of the witnesses are living outside Abuja.
But one of Okorocha’s lawyers, Mr Okey Amaechi (SAN), told the court that he had filed a bail application which had been served on the EFCC.
As he was trying to argue the bail application, EFCC lawyer opposed it, indicating that he intends to file a counter-affidavit against the bail application.
The four Senior Advocates of Nigeria hired by Okorocha to defend him are Okey Amaechi, Solomon Umor, Ola Olanipekun and Kehinde Ogunwumiju.
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