By Henry Ojelu

Former Imo State Governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, has refuted the fraud allegation by a businesswoman, Ms. Chinyere Amuchinwa, that he allegedly defrauded her of N500 million.

In a petition to the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, and the Department of State Services, DSS, dated July 15, Amuchinwa had alleged that Ohakim not only defrauded her but obtained money from her under false pretence.

Amuchinwa also accused Ohakim of threatening her life.

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However, in a statement by his political adviser, Emmanuel Chukwu, Ohakim stated that the allegations constitute an elaborate and audacious scheme by Ms Amuchinwa  to blackmail, extort and otherwise defame him.

Chukwu noted that Ms Amuchinwa counter-petition was an afterthought to an ongoing investigation of her criminal conducts, based on a petition Ohakim filed against her and upon which she was arrested as far back as January 20, seven clear months before she was recruited to file her false petition.

Pointing out some inconsistency in Ms Amuchinwa’s allegations, Chukwu noted that in purporting to have supplied luxury goods worth N110m 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.

Part of the statement read:  “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’.

“In the coming days, the world and Ms Amuchinwa would be hearing more from Dr Ohakim on this matter.”

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