FORMER Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi has instituted a N300bn (£973) libel suit against the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state and its chairman Chief Felix Obuah in response to claims he embezzled $757m while in office.
Governor Amaechi was in office between 2007 and this year after he stood down having served his mandatory two terms. Since Governor Nyesom Wike of the PDP has taken over, his administration has accused Governor Amaechi of looting the treasury and a probe of his tenure has been instituted.
In what appears to be a fight-back, Governor Amaechi said he has sued Chief Obuah, the state PDP and two others for alleging that he operated a private foreign account where he lodged the said public funds. Although the former governor did not identify the two other persons he joined in his suit, Governor Amaechi said the allegation had done a lot of harm to his person and reputation, and he demanded N300bn (£973m) as damages.
According to Governor Amaechi, the state PDP on August 6 and August 21, 2015, alleged that he stole the sum of $757m or N80bn of Rivers State money and stashed it away in an account in his name in Bancorp Bank in Minnesota, in the US. He added that ever since the said invidious and libellous publications by the PDP and Felix Obuah emerged in public domain, he had been inundated, bombarded and confronted by several persons who expressed lack of respect, loss of faith in him and who no longer regard him as trustworthy and now view him as a common criminal.
Governor Amaechi said: “The PDP also alleged that I had embezzled millions of dollars of Rivers State money and stashed the money in other foreign accounts in his name, including a bank in Switzerland. The PDP claimed that the various Amaechi foreign accounts were revealed and blown open by Christine Amanpour of America’s Cable News Network.
“The PDP went further to claim that Bancorp Bank, Minnesota, had written to President Muhammadu Buhari that part of the funds was to purchase a residence for Amaechi in America and that they intend to return the stolen funds to Nigeria. Against PDP, Felix Obuah and two others, I am seeking the sum of N300bn (£973m) for general damages done to me and defamation of my character, reputation and person.”
In this fresh suit filed before an Abuja High Court, Governor Amaechi stated that each of the said malicious publications are untrue, false, motivated by ill-will and without any foundations in truth whatsoever. Reacting, Chief Obuah promised that his lawyers would react appropriately.
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