By EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR AND CHIDI NKWOPARA

SIR Jude Agbaso was, yesterday, removed as the deputy governor of Imo State by the State House of Assembly upon the adoption of a report of a judicial panel which investigated allegations of impropriety against him.

Following his removal yesterday evening, the House immediately screened and approved the erstwhile chief of staff to Governor Rochas Okorocha, Prince Ezeakonobi Madumere who was nominated by the governor as the new deputy governor. Before developments climaxed in Owerri yesterday evening, it emerged that the N458 million bribe money at the centre of the controversy had been traced to two banks in Lebanon and Dubai.

The transfer of the money according to details of forensic investigations obtained by Vanguard yesterday, however, showed that the funds were transferred to two accounts in the name of one of the officials of the company,  who ironically, accused the erstwhile deputy governor of receiving the bribe money.

Meanwhile, Chief Martins Agbaso, elder brother of the former deputy governor said yesterday that irrespective of the actions against his brother that the one term agreement he signed with Okorocha would be effected in 2015. The motion for the removal of Agbaso was moved by the Majority Leader and member for Ahiazu Mbaise state constituency, Mrs. Adaku Ihuoma, while 23 lawmakers voted in favour of the motion.

Confidence in the seven-man panel

Vanguard also gathered that one lawmaker abstained from casting his vote while two votes were declared null and void. In moving the motion, the House was told that the Deputy Governor did not appear before the seven-man judicial panel as requested on the alleged ground that he had no confidence in the panel.

Attempts by Agbaso, earlier in the day to stop the impeachment proceedings initiated by the State House of Assembly suffered setback as the state High Court presided over by Justice Florence Duruoha-Igwe threw out the suit as being incompetent.

Justice Duruoha-Igwe, was of the opinion that from the facts before the court, Agbaso was not denied fair hearing as the applicant bitterly complained about. On whether the court was competent to hear the suit, Justice Duruoha-Igwe affirmed its competence but further ruled that the Deputy Governor was not denied fair hearing. Meanwhile, some of the former deputy governor’s aides, including his media aide, Chief Onyema Opara, were barred from removing their personal belongings yesterday evening.

Governor Okorocha and his Deputy, Agbaso when the going was good…

Confirming the development to Vanguard in a telephone chat, Opara said he was there to pick his personal effects but was told by security personnel that there was an order from above not to allow any car from leaving the place.

“I simply picked my bunch of keys, left the car in the premises as directed and called my wife, who later came to the place and picked me up”, Chief Opara said.

Elder brother of the former deputy governor, Chief Martins Agbaso who briefed newsmen in Lagos yesterday also made available certified true copies from the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC of the ownership structure of JPROS Limited, the company at the centre of the bribe allegation.

The share structure revealed that a serving Special Adviser to Governor Okorocha was appointed as a director in JPROS after the award of the controversial road contract to JPROS Limited in 2012.

Agbaso also provided MTN call logs of his younger brother, Sir Jude, for the period of February 2012 to show that there was no communication between him and Mr. Dina to counter the allegation that he, (Jude Agbaso) forwarded the account numbers of the two bureaux de change for the transfer of the alleged bribe money by a text message as alleged by Dina.

Mr. Dina, Managing Director of JPROS Limited had alleged before the Imo State House of Assembly that he paid a N458 million bribe to the deputy governor from the N1.3 billion contract he was paid to re-construct the Dei Sam Mbakwe Road, Owerri.

Briefing newsmen on the forensic audit yesterday, Agbaso, himself a former gubernatorial candidate in the state said:

”According to the findings of the investigators, the N458 million (Four Hundred and Fifty Eight Million) alleged to have been paid as gratification to the Imo State Deputy Governor, Sir Jude Agbaso was actually sent by the official to his company accounts overseas.

“The findings of the investigators revealed that, the official first paid the sum of Three Hundred and twenty five million naira into Three Brother’s Concept Ltd. GTB Account. The money was used to raise the sum of $1,930,000 which was subsequently transferred through Dubai, on February 21, 2012 to the official’s account No LB55001400002302300179018010 with the Kaslik Branch of BLOM BANK SAL in Lebanon.

“The purpose of the transfer as stated in the transfer document was “to import construction equipment. “The second tranche of N133,000,000 was similarly paid into the IHSAN BDC Ltd’s account No. 1015334698 with the UBA by the official. Again the money was used to raise $800,000 and transferred to the official’s account No. AE360200000036374395130 with HSBC Middle East Ltd at Dubai Internet City, Sheik Zayed Rd, Dubai.”

Noting the irony, Agbaso said: “So, while the official was accusing the Deputy Governor of Imo State, Sir Jude Agbaso of demanding and receiving a bribe of N458 million, the said money had been converted by the official himself and his associates, and paid into the official’s foreign accounts in Lebanon.”

He alleged that the impeachment process was wholly initiated to truncate the agreement between him and Okorocha for the latter to serve only one term following which the governorship would be rotated to Owerri zone in Imo State.

Alleging a conspiracy against his brother, he said:”He (Okorocha) is the governor of the state but he doesn’t have the right to tarnish the image of my family which goes back several generations of men and women who have worked very hard to build a name.”

“Being head of the Agbaso family, my primary concern became to clean.

It is of primary importance that my family name is cleared of all these allegations.”

He further denied allegations that Okorocha compensated him financially for providing the political structure for his successful 2011 governorship bid.

“There were no pecuniary considerations in any form or shape as I have heard from some quarters that some people said ‘we settled Agbaso.’ I have not received one penny from Chief Rochas Anayo Chukwu Okorocha ever since I met him till today. Quote me loud and clear.”

“Our consideration was that he was going to be governor for one term and return the governorship in 2015 to Owerri zone. That agreement is still valid. 2015 is Owerri turn, it is a written document.”