The Imo State judicial commission of inquiry on award of contracts between 2011 and 2019 has recommended that the former government of Owelle Rochas Okorocha should refund N106Billion to the state government which it said was siphoned by the government through non-existent contracts
Submitting its report to Governor Hope Uzodimma at the Executive Chambers, Government House Owerri on Monday, the Chairman, Justice Benjamin Iheaka explained that “there were monumental fraud that were orchestrated by the contractors in the period under review with strong collusion with some civil servants who helped in the fraud which was evidenced in over-pricing of the value of the contracts executed in the State.”
The report said that there were fragrant disregard for due process and the rules of Bureau for Public Procurement Act in the Imo State which was exhibited in “outrageous contract pricing and shady contract executions as well as payment for non performing contracts.”
The Commission, however, identified some civil servants who were honest, dedicated and resisted every pressure by the contract scammers to use their offices to defraud the state Government during the period under review.
Justice Iheaka also said there were evidences of non-existing and phoney companies that were used to siphon State Government funds to the tone of N106billion.
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