Rotimi Amaechi, former Minister of Transportation, has responded to the Supreme Court judgement which ordered him to answer to a probe instituted against him over an allegation of N96 billion fraud.
The Government of Rivers State, had set up a seven-man panel to probe Amaechi’s involvement in an alleged N96 billion fraud during his eight-year tenure as Governor.
The Nyesom Wike-led government alleged that Amaechi fraudulently sold some assets belonging to the state during his tenure.
Some of the assets are Omoku Gas Turbine, Afam Gas Turbine, Trans Amadi Gas Turbine, Eleme Gas Turbine, Olympia Hotel and the award of contract for the execution of the MonoRail Project.
But the former minister instituted a suit at the Supreme Court to stop the probe instituted against him by the Rivers State government over the fraud allegation.
In a ruling on Friday, the Supreme Court dismissed the suit brought before it by Amaechi challenging the setting up of a seven-man probe panel against him for lack of merit.
The apex court also awarded N1million costs against the former minister who recently resigned to pursue his 2023 presidential ambition.
Reacting to the development, Amaechi said the ruling that backed his stance that the probe set up his successor should not be about him because he was not on trial.
In a statement released by his Media Office on Friday, Amaechi said the ruling of the apex court pronounced that the function of the probe panel set up by the Rivers government was mere investigative and not a prosecution body.
Amaechi said that he has been vindicated and cleared of the purported indictment by the Judicial Commission with the apex court judgment.
The presidential hopeful said the commission set up to investigate past financial transactions was a commission to personally witch-hunt him.
The statement reads, “Nigeria’s apex court today ruled on the Appeal filed by Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi against the Rivers State Government on the Justice Omereji Judicial Commission of Inquiry.
“The Supreme Court in dismissing the appeal however pronounced that the function of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry was mere investigative, that nobody, neither Amaechi nor anyone else, was on trial before the panel.
“The Supreme Court ruling vindicates the former Governor of Rivers State. The apex court was categorical and clear that Amaechi was not on trial. The implication of this is that any indictment from the Commission is null and void and cannot stand.
“With this judgment, Amaechi has been vindicated and cleared him of all purported or alleged indictment by the Governor Wike’s Commission.
It has been further settled that the decisions/recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry and subsequent White Paper issued by the State Government is not a conviction or indictment and cannot stand.
“From the onset, it was obvious to any discerning mind that the Commission was set up to embarrass, denigrate and humiliate Amaechi.
“The apex court’s judgment today, further buttressed this stance. A commission purportedly set up to investigate past financial transactions was a commission to personally witch-hunt Amaechi.”
