Owerri: EFCC secures forfeiture of N1.5bn hospital linked to Okorocha’s aide

A day after former governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, was convicted and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for N7.65 billion fraud by a Federal High Court in Lagos, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) secured another conviction as Justice T.G Ringin of a Federal High Court sitting in Owerri, today ordered the final forfeiture of Dews of Hope Hospital, a N1.5 Billion 200-bed hospital, allegedly owned by an aide to a former governor of Imo State and serving senator, Rochas Okorocha.

The Commission had on August 22, secured the interim forfeiture of the property from a vacation Judge, Justice A. T Mohammed of Federal High Court, Port Harcourt. The application for interim forfeiture was triggered by evidence that the facility may have been acquired through proceeds of illicit activities, as funds from Government House, Owerri were traced to the hospital.

The Commission’s investigation revealed that Dr. Paschal Obi, former Permanent Secretary and Principal Secretary to Okorocha was a signatory to the accounts. However, Obi, like members of the board of the hospital, vehemently denied ownership of the medical facility. The managing director of the hospital on invitation could not also explain how the hospital was funded.

These developments led the Commission to file for the forfeiture of the property on July 25, 2019. In granting the request, the court ordered the anti-graft agency to publish the order in a national newspaper, which was accordingly complied with in the Nation Newspaper of August 30, 2019 and Leadership Newspaper of September 3,2019 respectively, asking interested parties to show cause why the property should not be forfeited to the federal government within fourteen days from the dates of the publications.

Upon the expiration of the notice and with no one showing interest, the Commission filed for the final forfeiture of the facility.