The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has refuted allegations that Jonathan Okunbor, a suspect in an N6 billion fraud probe, testified in the current Edo State election tribunal.
The commission stated that Asue Ighodalo, the People’s Democratic Party’s candidate for governor, had stated in the tribunal that the suspect was one of his witnesses.
According to a statement released on Wednesday by Dele Oyewale, the Head of Media and Publicity at the EFCC, Okunbor is the main suspect in a case involving the purported misappropriation of funds that involves all 18 Edo State local government areas.
Oyewale said, “The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, has been drawn to a trending video insinuating that Mr. Jonathan Okunbor, a suspect being investigated for an alleged N6bn fraud, was an election witness.
“The Commission wishes to state without any equivocation that Okunbor is not a witness of the Peoples Democratic Party, in the election tribunal as claimed by Mr. Asue Ighodalo. Rather, he is a prime suspect connected to a case of misappropriation of funds involving all the 18 local government areas of Edo State.”
Investigations showed that almost N6 billion was sent to Okunbor’s company, Kezmith Global Ventures, according to Oyewale, who also claimed that the suspect ran the business under the alias Godfrey Emode.
He said, “Ongoing investigations showed that about N6 billion was diverted to Kezmith Global Ventures owned by Okunbor. The suspect was running the ventures using the name and identity of Mr Godfrey Emode.”
Oyewale revealed that during a pre-trial conference, Okunbor was discovered at the Eterno Hotel after Emode’s detention directed detectives to him.
He mentioned that Okunbor was not a witness in the tribunal, as confirmed by Ighodalo’s attorney.
“The Commission’s investigators, in their quest to unearth the shadiness of Okunbor, arrested Emode who led them to the suspect in Eterno Hotel where a pre-trial meeting was being held.
“Investigators interrogated the counsel to Ighodalo on the status of Okunbor in the election tribunal matters and he clearly stated that he was not a witness in the matter,” the statement added.
He said that EFCC officers went ahead and arrested Okbunbor in spite of opposition from Ighodalo and other witnesses.
Oyewale said, “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 Okunbor was his witness when it was obvious that he only wanted to aid his escape from the Commission’s investigators.”
Oyewale stated that the Commission is dedicated to maintaining the rule of law and that it is still focused on pursuing corruption accusations regardless of any connections to the tribunal.
He said, “The EFCC remains committed to its adherence to the rule of law and the Commission has no business with any Edo State election witness that has no corruption charge before it. The EFCC will not hesitate to bring anyone to trial, witness or no witness if it has a basis for doing so.”
Oyewale reaffirmed the agency’s dedication to accountability and transparency in its operations and advised the public to ignore the false statements.