Former governor of Ebonyi State Martin Elechi, yesterday, spent many hours in the hands of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s interrogators to clear himself of allegations that he made away with millions of state funds during his eight-year tenure.
As hard as he tried to prove his innocence of the myriad of financial impropriety levelled against him, the EFCC confronted him with more accusations forcing him to spend more than he expected with the investigators, who were armed with facts and figures about his administration.
Although Elechi arrived the EFCC headquarters at 10 am he was still being quizzed is currently at the headquarters of the EFCC, where he is being grilled by a team of investigators, probing allegations of financial malpractices during his tenure as governor of the state.
He was questioned over the theft of millions of naira in the asphalt contract for the 13 Local Government Secretariats and Headquarters.
He was confronted with the fact that although his administration deducted money from the 13 LGAs, the asphalt plants have only been executed in six of the councils. Besides, he was questioned on why the contract was given to his son, Elechi Nnanna Elechi.
The former governor was also taken to task over the huge sum earmarked for the centenary celebration. Towards the celebration, a supervisory committee under the Commissioner for Local Government, Nwali, deducted the sum of N1 million from each of the 13 LG areas for the purchase and production of T-Shirts for the celebration but there was no evidence of T-shirts produced for the celebration.
Elechi was also asked to explain what he knew about issues arising from deductions from stabilization fund account of the state government for the financing of Labour party.
A concerned indigene of the state had in a petition told the EFCC that the governor Martin Elechi awarded contract to his family company managed by his son Nnanna. Contracts from the state and local government running into millions of naira which remain un-executed a month after the governor vacated Government House, Abakalaiki.
The anti-graft agency had previously invited and interrogated the permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Works to answer questions while the trio of Igbele, Accountant General; Timothy Ogbonnaya Odaa, Commissioner for Finance, and Honourable Celestine Nwali, Commissioner for Local government and Chieftaincy Matters, had also being quizzed by operatives of the EFCC.
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