By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
This is definitely not the best of times for the embattled former Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha as an Owerri High Court on Monday ruled in favour of final forfeiture of all the properties he illegally acquired while he was in office.
The Court presided over by Justice Fredrick Njemanze has now ordered the permanent and absolute forfeiture of Royal Palm Springs and all properties contained in pages 226 to 272 of the Imo State Government White Paper Gazette on Recovery of Lands and Properties belonging to Imo State Government.
Okorocha who is a serving Senator representing Orlu Zone and Imo State Government have been at loggerheads over the massive properties he acquired while he was in power and which government has since probed, the panel submitted its findings and government issued a White Paper on it.
But Okorocha who was indicted by the Panel set up by the immediate past government of Emeka Ihedioha, had out rightly described his probe as political witch-hunt.
Okorocha was on hand to resist all attempts by Governor Hope Uzodinma’s government to recover illegally acquired properties from him even as he stormed one of the facilities with his supporters early this year and was arrested by the operatives of the Imo Police Command.
However, the ruling of Hon. Justice Njemanze of Owerri High Court on Monday has put paid to Okorocha’s efforts to stop the present administration in Imo State from recovering the alleged illegally acquired properties.
