ABUJA – Senator Rochas Okorocha, embattled former governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha, was on Tuesday night (today) screened by the screening committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) headed by former governor of Edo State and former national chairman of the ruling party, Odigie John Oyegun.
The APC listed him for screening today despite his appearance at the Federal High Court, Abuja earlier in the day, in continuation of his alleged N2.9 billion fraud trial.
There was anxiety that the senator will miss the screening. He is one of the 28 aspirants that bought APC presidential form at the cost of N100 million.
But apparently, he beat the deadline, having met his bail conditions.
Temporary respite came Okorocha’s way on Tuesday (today) when the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja granted him bail to the tune of N500 million with one surety in like sum.
Trial Justice Inyang Ekwo ruled that Okorocha should be released on bail after he dismissed a counter-affidavit the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed against him.
In his short ruling, Justice Ekwo said he was minded to grant bail to the defendant.
He ordered the defendant to produce one surety that must be a responsible citizen and owner of landed property in Abuja worth the bail sum.
The court equally gave bail to the 2nd defendant in the matter, Mr. Anyim Nyerere Chinenye, who is a chieftain of the APC, on terms of the administrative bail the EFCC earlier handed to him.
Okorocha, who piloted affairs of Imo state from 2011 to 2019, was arraigned on Monday alongside Mr. Chinenye and five companies, Naphtali International Limited, Perfect Finish Multi Projects Limited, Consolid Projects Consulting Limited, Pramif International Limited, and Legend World Concepts Limited.
All the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge dated January 24.
With his screening, Okorocha is now the 24th APC presidential aspirant to be screened. Twenty-three aspirants had earlier been screened.
