A former member of Imo State Executive Council, Ichie Best Mbanaso, yesterday, told the Judicial Commission of Inquiry on Contracts that he has been receiving threatening calls since he appeared before the commission.
Mbanaso made the disclosure while answering questions from the witness box.
His words: “My Lord, I have been receiving a lot of threatening telephone calls since I appeared before this honourable commission and stated all I knew about the specific contract details I was asked to explain.
“The callers usually hid their phone numbers. I am not perturbed by such threats, so long as I know that I told the truth. What I told this commission are what I can fearlessly tell any other person or group. I only felt that I should let you know what I have been passing through.”
Reacting, Justice Benjamin Iheka advised his counsel, Mr. Fintan Ilika, to immediately report the matter to the police, “since such an act is criminal in nature.”
Going into the substantive issue, Mbanaso said all the jobs he did, including the Orlu Shopping Mall, were executed by direct labour.
“The jobs were done by direct labour. The total cost of the projects were determined by the governor (Rochas Okorocha). We worked as money was released to me,” Mbanaso said.
On the mode of payment, the former commissioner said “the governor had the practice of paying instalmentally and as it pleased him.”
When the matter of a Permanent Secretary, Mrs. L. N. Asuzu, was called up, her counsel, Mr. J. Ike Nwankwo, told the commission that “she is still in London and held up there because of the lockdown.”
He also told the commission that the documents sought to be tendered are domiciled in the office.
Justice Iheka, however, reminded Nwankwo that “the essence of the invitation is to give her a fair hearing, especially as we are an ad-hoc commission that is time bound.”
While warning that the commission cannot wait indefinitely for Mrs. Asuzu, the commission’s chairman, however, added that “the alibi pleaded by the woman does not impress the commission.”
The matter was adjourned to May 4, 2020 for counsel to report his discussion with his client.
VANGUARD
