Elechi spends 8 hours with EFCC

Former Ebonyi State governor, Chief Martins Elechi, yesterday on the second day of his questioning in Abuja, faced more than eight hours of rigorous grilling in the hands of operatives of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over alleged laundering of state funds.

The former governor arrived the EFCC headquarters at 10am and faced his interrogators until 4pm when he was asked to go and return on a date next week.

Ohakiim
A source at the commission confirmed to Vanguard that the politician might be charged to court based on the evidence adduced by his interrogators and those earlier gathered from some top officials who served under his government.

The questioning of the governor had to do with a number of deals said to have been carried out during his tenure for which concerned natives of the state petitioned the anti-graft agency and demanded for probe.

Among the issues for which he was summoned were the alleged theft of millions of Naira in the asphalt plant contract for the 13 local government areas of the state, the award of several contracts to his son, Nnanna Elechi, compulsory deduction from Stabilisation Account to fund Labour Party and the misuse of funds earmarked for the Centenary celebration, among others.

Meanwhile, the EFCC was expecting to receive and question former Imo State governor, Ikedi Ohakim, before the close of work yesterday.

Ohakim is being asked by the agency to explain his role in the misuse of state funds when he was governor of the state and how he ended up buying several property in some parts of the country thereafter.

A source in the commission said the agency was very close to charging Ohakim to court, having made progress in its investigation over the years.

It could not be established at press time if the former governor eventually showed up or sent some explanations to the commission.