Joy Anyim
A former governor of Imo state, Dr. Ikedi Ohakim, has described as ‘untrue’, the allegation of fraud and extortion leveled against him by a businesswoman, Ms Chinyere Amuchinwa.
Amuchinwa had alleged that she supplied goods worth N110 million to Ohakim, and paid him the sum of N500 million for the purchase of a land.
According to a statement signed by his Political Adviser, Emmanuel Chukwu, the allegations as published on This Day newspaper of August 12, 2020, are misleading and injurious to the personality of Dr. Ohakim.
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It was revealed that the former governor had, earlier on January 20, filed a petition against the Amuchinwa for her alleged criminal conducts towards the erstwhile governor, which led to her then arrest.
Stating that the claims which were also contained in a counter-petition filed by Amuchinwa on July 8, 2020, may be sponsored, Chukwu described the claims as a scheme to blackmail and extort Ohakim.
The statement read, “ First, the allegations are, to say the least, most ludicrous and laughable. They all together constitute an elaborate and audacious scheme by Ms Amuchinwa (currently a criminal suspect) to blackmail, extort and otherwise defame the person of Dr Ohakim.
“In the This Day story, Ms Amuchinwa presented herself as ‘businesswoman’, but did not state the nature of her enterprise and her business address, if any.
“And to be sure, Ms Amuchinwa had filed this Counter-Petition as an afterthought to an ongoing investigation of her criminal conducts towards Dr. Ohakim, based on a Petition Dr. Ohakim had filed against her and upon which she was arrested as far back as 20th January, 2020, seven clear months before she was recruited to file her false Petition. We are fully aware of her nefarious sponsors.
“Second, in purporting to have supplied luxury goods worth N110 million to Dr. Ohakim, she did not state the exact nature of these goods, evidence of request for the goods, acknowledgment receipt and the address of transaction.
“And why would her fake invoices be in foreign currency, especially in Euros when she does not have any shop in Europe?
“Third, in claiming to have made N500m payment to Dr. Ohakim for purchase of land, she dishonestly left out whether such was made through the banking system.
“As of a fact, if such payment ever existed, it is very easy to track money trail through the banking system.
“Did she make the payment in cash, foreign currency or how really? Even at that, N500m is certainly a huge sum, so she certainly would require a large bullion van making multiple trips to convey such quantum cash.
“Fourth, Ms Amuchinwa’s Petition constitutes a disingenuous lie concocted from the pit of hell.
“Dr. Ohakim will, therefore, go to any length and vigorously prove his innocence and ensure that an unconscionable blackmailer/defamer is brought to justice alongside her enablers and co-conspirators. If she had gotten away with blackmail in the past, now she has met her waterloo. As the sages say, ‘To be toss is nothing but to be safely toss’.”
Chukwu maintained Amuchinwa would be hearing more from the former governor on the matter.
