Rochas Okorocha gets N500m bail, may attend APC screening

Rochas Okorocha

Rochas Okorocha

Senator Rochas Okorocha, former Governor of Imo State, has been granted bail at N500million by the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a ruling on Tuesday, rejected EFCC’s objection, saying granting bail was a discretionary power of the court.

The judge, then, ordered Okorocha to provide a surety, who will sign and of the same amount.

He said the surety must have a landed property within the jurisdiction of the court.

The surety must deposit the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) of the verified property with the registry of the court.

The judge, while admitting the senator to bail with a cautionary statement, ordered that his international passport be deposited in the registry of the court.

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He ordered the registry of the court to inform the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) about the state of Okorocha’s travel documents.

He further ordered the lawmaker not to travel outside the country except with the leave of the court.

With this development, Okorocha now has less than 24 hours to perfect the bail in order to be able to attend the presidential screening of the All Progressives Congress.

Okorocha, who is facing a 17-count charge bordering on conspiracy to steal N2.9 billion in public funds during his tenure as Imo State Governor, is number 17 on the list of presidential aspirants expected by the APC screening committee.

The screening began yesterday and will end today.

Okorocha will also have to clear his membership status, financial status, academic credentials, and other requirements for a presidential candidate as spelled out in the constitution of the APC.

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