. . . Prime suspect not PDP witness, EFCC replies Asue Ighodalo
By Andy Asemota
Rather than abate, the dust raised over Tuesday’s aborted move to arrest the prime suspect in the multi- billion naira misappropriation saga rocking the suspended 18 local government council chairmen in Edo State by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, took another dimension yesterday.
The anti-graft agency said the suspect escaped arrest at a popular hotel in Benin when it swooped on the hide out of alleged brain behind Financial Malfeasance, identified as Jonathan Okunbor, is not a witness of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the election tribunal as claimed by Asue Ighodalo, the party’s governorship flag-bearer in September 21, 2024, poll.
In a statement by the Head, Media and Publicity, of the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, the anti-corruption czar said: “Rather, he (Jonathan Okunbor) 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 N6billion was diverted to Kezmith Global Ventures owned by Ogunbor. The suspect was running the ventures using the name and identity of Mr. Godfrey Emode.
“The Commission’s investigators, in their quest to unearth the shadiness of Ogunbor, arrested Emode who led them to the suspect in Eterno Hotel where a pre-trial meeting was being held.”
Denying the claims that the EFCC was arresting PDP witnesses, Oyewale insisted that EFCC’s investigators interrogated the counsel to Ighodalo on the status of Ogunbor in the election tribunal matters and he clearly stated that he was not a witness in the matter.
He added that 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 Ogunbor.
“Specifically, Ighodalo insisted that Ogunbor was his witness when it was obvious that he only wanted to aid his escape from the Commission’s investigators.”
Oyewale also stressed that the EFCC’s commitment to its adherence to the rule of law, saying the Commission has no business with any Edo State election witness that has no corruption charge before it.
He however warned that he EFCC would not hesitate to bring anyone to trial, witness or no witness, if it has a basis for doing so.
“The public is assured that Ogunbor will be brought to book soon in connection with the alleged N6billion fraud involving his firm, Kezmith Global Ventures,” he said.
The statement was a swift reaction to a trending video insinuating that Mr. Jonathan Okunbor, a suspect being investigated for an alleged N6billion fraud, was an election witness.
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