By Okey Alozie
The Judicial Panel of Inquiry sitting at High Court Nine (9) Owerri, has frowned over the actions of Mr Jeff Okoh the owner of Gush project company Ltd who was alleged to have received over seven billion naira for the Amakohia, Orji flyover project.
The Gush company owner, Mr Jeff Okoh was unable to convince the panel that he is innocent on the allegation leveled against him on the project (flyover).
Trumpeta learnt that Documents before the panel showed that the Gush owner was paid N7.5bn by Imo Government House but he denied receiving such amount of money talkless of accepting to do any flyover job in Imo.
On Monday, Mr Casmir Uzoho, the Director of Account Imo Government House appeared before the probe panel to show evidence of the monies that were given to Mr Jeff Okoha, owner of Gush company but surprisingly, Jeff was absent which amounted to court contempt. He managed to come on Tuesday and was able to make his presentations clear for the panel. The way he was fumbling at the witness box while making his submissions made the panel to raise eyebrows on the matter.
The panel members insisted that Jeff must provide all the vital documents and information to confront the people that claimed they gave him money.
“There is conflict between you and Imo Government House with respect of the money the alleged to have paid you.
“If you said that you did not receive any money for the flyover then you have to explain with cogent and verifiable reasons to prove your case.
“More over your absence last Monday made the whole matter to collapse, we should have used your absence to conclude your matter, remember we have the powers to put any body behind bars for disobeying the court order” a panel member stated.
The panel further maintained that Gush company owner is not helping matters and not fair to the probe panel at all.
At this juncture, the chairman of the panel, Justice Benjamine Iheka asked him to go and prepare all his documents for defence including the receipt of the payment made and the contract to which the payments are made for. The chairman adjourned the matter to Thursday (Today) to enable Jeff extract all his document and information from his bank.
Jeff has earlier told the panel that the payment the Government House claimed to have made him was mixed up adding that the presentation keep repeating itself.
In his words, “I was paid through the bank and evidence of all the payment are there.
Jeff listed out the payment he could not include initially to form part of his records. He said he put up request and was paid for his request.
“I have documents to show for the payments made to me for the specified project that I did.
“There are registers in the Government House where I signed.
“I started working for Imo State Government since 2010.
The list is here with me” Jeff submitted
Jeff narrated how he received the hospital project money, rural road contracts Nsu tile contract, and Government House maintenance project.
He said that he supplied cars from Innoson, did Imo International Conference Centre (IICC) job, chamber of commerce, Ihiajoku building, on the payment list.
He presented the following by March 2015 payment for hospital project N250m was made on 61th of March 2015.
Jeff said he got N10m for rural road work precisely on the 21st of June.
He disclosed to have gotten N270m the same June.
On the 24th of October he said he got N240m.
He further mentioned that he was paid another N10m for rural road and on the 17th June N50m for Nsu project.
21st of July he said he got another hospital money at the tune of N57m.
22nd July N63m for Nsu project. 20th of Nov 2015 N50m for maintenance.
Jeff also disclosed from the witness box that on 7th of December 2016, N360m entered his account for IICC job.
He earlier said that on the 19th of July 2016 he got N540m for hospital project.
Mr Jeff was a little bit not composed while he was making his presentation and this made panel to ask him to go back and get his records straight and come back on Thursday.
