The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has cleared the air on a viral video in which the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in last year’s Edo State gubernatorial election, Mr Asue Ighodalo, claimed that one Jonathan Okunbor being investigated by the Commission for an alleged misappropriation of N6 billion is a witness of the party before the state election tribunal.
Reacting to the trending video, the Commission’s spokesman, Dele Oyewale, in a release he signed and made available to Tribune Online, stated that the said Okunbor was not a witness before the tribunal.
According to him, Okunbor was a prime suspect in a case of misappropriation of funds involving all 18 local government areas of Edo State.
Oyewale further stated that ongoing investigations showed that about N6 billion was diverted to Kezmith Global Ventures, owned by Okunbor, using the name and identity of Mr Godfrey Emode.
According to the EFCC spokesman, “The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to a trending video insinuating that Mr Jonathan Okunbor, a suspect being investigated for an alleged N6 billion fraud, was an election witness.
“The Commission wishes to state without any equivocation that Okunbor is not a witness of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the election tribunal as claimed by Mr Asue Ighodalo.
“Rather, he is a prime suspect connected to a case of misappropriation of funds involving all the 18 local government areas of Edo State.
“Ongoing investigations showed that about N6 billion was diverted to Kezmith Global Ventures, owned by Okunbor. The suspect was running the ventures using the name and identity of Mr Godfrey Emode.”
Oyewale stated that in their quest to unearth Okunbor’s shadiness, EFCC investigators arrested Emode, who led them to the suspect at the Eterno Hotel where a pre-trial meeting was being held.
“Investigators interrogated the counsel to Ighodalo on the status of Okunbor in the election tribunal matters and he clearly stated that he was not a witness in the matter.
“In spite of this, Mr Ighodalo and his co-travellers at Eterno Hotel prevented EFCC officers from carrying out their constitutional duty and obstructed them from arresting Okunbor.
“Specifically, Ighodalo insisted that Okunbor was his witness when it was obvious that he only wanted to aid his escape from the Commission’s investigators,” the EFCC spokesman stated.
He asserted that while the anti-graft agency remains committed to adhering to the rule of law, it will not hesitate to bring anyone to trial if it has a basis to do so.
“The EFCC remains committed to its adherence to the rule of law and the Commission has no business with any Edo State election witness that has no corruption charge before it.
“The EFCC will not hesitate to bring anyone to trial, witness or no witness, if it has a basis for doing so.
“The public is assured that Okunbor will be brought to book soon in connection with the alleged N6 billion fraud involving his firm, Kezmith Global Ventures.”
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