EFCC arrests Imo State Accountant General for allegedly helping Okorocha to launder money

ayodele johnson

March 8, 2019 8:04 PM

Uzoho Casmir, the Accountant General of Imo State, has been arrested by the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for helping the state governor Rochas Okorocha to launder N1.05bn.

A report by the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has confirmed the arrest of Imo State Accountant General Uzoho Casmir, on suspicion of laundering money to influence Saturday's gubernatorial election. State governor Rochas Okorocha is believed to be the recipient of the gesture.

According to a report, the amount is believed to be aimed at vote buying in the gubernatorial elections holding across most states in Nigeria on Saturday, March 9, 2019.

According to a statement from the EFCC as reported by The Cable News, the Accountant General was apprehended through an intelligence effort.

He had tried to withdraw the money in bits from Tuesday to Thursday.

"The, EFCC, Enugu Zonal Office, Thursday, March 8, 2019 arrested the Acting Accountant General of Imo State, Mr. Uzoho Casmir, on suspicion of laundering the sum of N1.050bn through a new generation bank for the governor of the state, Rochas Okorocha.

"Uzoho’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."

ayodele johnson

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