‘N2.9bn fraud’: Court grants Okorocha permission to travel abroad for medical treatment

A federal high court in Abuja has granted permission to Rochas Okorocha, former governor of Imo, to travel to the United Kingdom for medical attention.

Ola Olanipekun, Okorocha’s counsel, told the court that his client has been having health challenges.

The senior advocate prayed the court to allow Okorocha to travel for medical attention with a promise that the senator representing Imo west would return to continue his trial.

However, Chile Okoroma, prosecution counsel, opposed the request.

In a ruling delivered on Wednesday, Inyang Ekwo, the judge, granted the defendant permission to travel and ordered the registrar of the court to release his passport.

Ekwo ordered Okorocha to return the passport to the court registrar no later than three days after his return to Nigeria.

The judge held that he would declare Okorocha wanted if he attempts to abuse the favour granted him.

The judge then fixed November 7 for the continuation of trial.

The EFCC had, on May 24, besieged the Abuja home of the senator representing Imo west.

Operatives of the commission, in an attempt to disperse supporters of the former governor as well as journalists, shot sporadically in the air and also fired tear gas, after which they broke into Okorocha’s home and forcefully arrested him.

The commission had said the arrest was necessitated by Okorocha’s refusal to attend his trial.

He was then arraigned on a 17-count charge of money laundering to which he pleaded not guilty on May 30.

Okorocha was arraigned alongside Anyim Chinenye, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and five companies — Naphtali International Limited, Perfect Finish Multi Projects Limited, Consolid Projects Consulting Limited, Pramif International Limited, and Legend World Concepts Limited.