8th March, 2019
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has arrested the Accountant-General of Imo State, Uzoho Casmir, for allegedly helping Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, to launder N1.05 billion for the governorship and assembly elections on Saturday.
A statement from the EFCC, Enugu Zonal Office, on Friday said it arrested Casmir on Thursday on suspicion of laundering the sum of N1.050bn through a new generation bank for the governor of the state, Okorocha.
The statement said Casmir’s arrest followed intelligence report that the governor intended to use the money for vote-buying in favour of a particular candidate in tomorrow’s gubernatorial election.
“Intelligence further revealed that Mr Casmir withdrew the amount in three tranches between Tuesday and Thursday this week in the following order; N200m on Tuesday, N500m on Wednesday and N350m on Thursday.
“Meanwhile, the EFCC has blocked the traced accounts, while the arrested Accountant General has been providing useful information to the commission.
“Mr Casmir was before his appointment, a Director of Finance in Okorocha’s government and was in 2016 fingered in N2bn bailout fund scam, which was then given to the state by the Federal Government for the payment of salary arrears of civil servants,” the statement said.
It should be recalled that Okorocha, who is a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, is supporting his son-in-law, Nwosu of the Action Alliance against the governorship candidate of the APC, Senator Hope Uzodinma.