A High Court sitting in Owerri, Imo State has ordered former Imo Governor Rochas Okorocha to forfeit over 500 personal properties acquired while in office to the State Government.
Ruling on a case between Imo Attorney General and Mrs. Nkechi Rochas Okorocha Incorporated Trustees of Rochas Foundation Senator Rochas Anayo Okorocha as Applicant and Respondents respectively in suit No HOW/M1191/2021, Justice Fred Njemanze ordered the final and absolute forfeiture of Royal Palm Springs Hotel and other properties said to belong to Senator Rochas Okorocha and other members of his family.
The forfeited properties are contained in pages 226 to 272 of the Imo Government white paper report by a Judicial Commission of Enquiry on Recovery of Lands and other related matters. According to the ruling by Justice Fred Njemanze, who was sitting as a vacation judge, Okorocha’s counsel failed to give concrete and verifiable reasons why a final and absolute forfeiture order should not be given in favour of the Imo state government.
Justice Njemanze added the suit against Imo state Government by Okorocha’s counsel was not properly filed. He also described it as “a surplusage”, a term in law which means a useless statement completely irrelevant to a matter. Justice Njemanze maintained that the white paper gazette by the Imo Government is a legal binding document.
THE NATION
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