Executive Fraud: Prosecute Okorocha Others now, Rights Group Tells EFCC over N20 billion fraud, other scam

Human Rights Foundation International, a rights advocacy group, has called for the prosecution of Rochas Okorocha, former governor of Imo State, over an alleged N20bn contract fraud.

This was contained in a petition sent to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission by the group.

A project document had shown how Okorocha awarded N20bn contract to Zigreat International Company Limited, a firm that failed to meet all procurement requirements.

In a petition signed by Okere Nnamdi, its director, and addressed to the anti-graft agency, the group alleged that Okorocha directed one Eze Enwereaku and Duru Onyeobi to register a company named Zigreat International Company Limited.

The petition reads, “Rochas Okorocha merely used the company to perfect his looting of Imo treasury by appointing/recommending who are the signatures to the company’s bank account and this put him in direct control of the finances paid into the company’s account through the award of fake and over-inflated contracts.

“Within a period of six years, Zigreat International Company Limited executed so many over-inflated contracts which were not formerly bided and published in newspapers (due process) as required in the Procurement Act and thereby corruptly avoided probity, accountability and transparency in the entire procurement processes.

“The entire contracts awarded to Zigreat International Company Limited breached the law by avoiding pricing standard that ensures fair competition, transparency, value for money in public sector procurement.

“Please kindly investigate the actual cost of the contracts executed and recover the inflated resources/amounts paid to the contractor and pay the money back to Imo State treasury,

“Arrest and prosecute all person found to have taken part or benefited in these illegal and over-inflated contracts by the Okorocha administration in Imo State.”