Supreme Court dismisses Amaechi’s case seeking to stop probe on alleged N96bn fraud

The Presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Governor of Rivers State, Mr Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi on Friday lost in his legal efforts to stop his probe in alleged N96 billion fraud and alleged fraudulent sales of assets belonging to the Rivers State.

A five-member panel of Justices of the Supreme Court, in a unanimous judgment delivered by Justice Adamu Jauro on Friday ordered Amaechi to go and face the Commission of Inquiry set up by the Rivers State Government to investigate his eight-year tenure as governor of the state.

The apex court dismissed Amaechi’s appeal where-in he had asked for order of the court to stop his successor, Governor Nyesom Wike from investigating the business of the state for the eight years he held sway as the executive governor of Rivers State.

Justice Jauro held that the issue of denial of fair hearing, as alleged by Amaechi does not arise as the probe panel will provide him with the opportunity to give explanations regarding Rivers government’s transactions when he was governor of the state.

The apex court held in the judgement that Amaechi’s suit lacked merit and was subsequently dismissed.

The Supreme Court affirmed the judgments of the High Court of Rivers State and that of the  Court of Appeal which had earlier dismissed same suit for want of substance and merit and slammed N1 million fine against Amaechi.

With the final decision of the apex court, Amaechi will be made to appear before the Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice George Omekeji to give account of how the sum of N96 billion was allegedly withdrawn from the treasury of the Rivers State government and how it was expended.

The Commission of Inquiry inaugurated by governor Wike is to look into the lawful or otherwise of the alleged sales of valuable assets of the state by the administration of former governor, Amaechi.

The listed valuable assets are Omoku Gas Turbine, Afam Gas Turbine, Trans Amadi Gas Turbine, Eleme Gas Turbine, Olympia Hotel and the award of contract for the execution of Mono Rail Project.

In the appeal marked: SC/911/2017, with the Rivers State Government and nine others as respondents, Amaechi wanted the court to stop his probe in alleged N96 billion fraud in relation to the state government’s claim that he fraudulently sold the state’s assets.

He had challenged the decision by his successor, Nyesom Wike to constitute a seven-man panel to probe his eight-year tenure as governor on the ground that the planned probe is aimed at witch-hunting, embarrass and to humiliate him.

But, the apex court, in its judgement dismissed the appeal for lacking in merit.

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