Gov Umahi
Following the recent petition to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) accusing Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi of looting over six billion naira, the state government has petitioned the police to investigate the state PDP Chairman, Mr Tochukwu Okorie, former House of Representatives member, Hon. Linus Abah Okorie and a social critic, Mr Charles Otu for defamation of governor’s character.
Attorney General of the state and Commissioner for Justice, Cletus Ofoke on Thursday, disclosed this in a statement he signed and made public.
According to him, the state government made good its threat to commence legal proceedings against members of PDP for circulating the alleged petition on social media.
He noted that the actions of the PDP members flouted the provisions of the state cybercrimes law.
He further said their actions are capable of causing a breach of public peace in the state.
The petition reads: “May I refer to the above subject which is a petition authored against His Excellency, Engr. David Nweze Umahir, the Executive Governor of Ebony State, by one S. C. Nkemakolam Okoro, Esq. for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP, Ebony State Chapter), and observe that the said petition is not only false but baseless, unfounded and a calculated attempt to tarnish the good image and integrity of our dear Governor.”
“The said petition has been maliciously and virally circulated via the social media to the utter embarrassment of the Governor and the government of Ebony State by the following persons: Hon. Linus Abba Okorie, Charles Otu and Tochukwu Okorie the Chairman of PDP In Ebony| State, against the extant provisions of the Ebony State CyberCrime (Prohibition) Law, 2021.”
“In the light of this ugly trend which is capable of causing a breach of the peace in the State, the Commissioner of Police is hereby requested to conduct in-depth investigation into this petition and bring the culprits to book, to act as a deterrent to others and thereby rid our peaceful State of all criminal elements as fake news circulation has become the order of the day.
“The suspects inter-alia include Mr Tochukwu Okorie (PDP Chairman, Ebony State), Hon Linus Abba Okorie, and Mr Charles Otu,” Ofoke said.
Reacting to the petition, Mr Linus Okorie asked why the Law firm that wrote the petition and the EFCC were not included in the said petition to the police.
He argued that it is the right of individuals to access and discuss public documents which the letter to the EFCC was.
He urged the State government to prepare their defence to the EFCC petition and stop chasing shadows.
He said: “Why is the law firm that authored the petition and the EFCC to whom it was addressed not included? Do you even know what a public document is and the rights of individuals to access and discuss them?”
‘Please prepare your defence with the EFCC and stop this wild forum shopping. This is a petition signed by known persons; not a story posted by anyone,” he said.
Recall that the PDP Ebonyi State chapter had accused the state governor, David Umahi of looting the state treasury in the aftermath of a High Court judgement which sacked him from office.
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