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Supreme Court gives Wike go-ahead to probe Amaechi over alleged N96bn fraud

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The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal filed by now former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi seeking to stop his probe over an alleged N96 billion fraud by the River State government led by Governor Nyesome Wike.

Amaechi, a former governor of the state, and presidential aspirant on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), lost the legal battle seeking to stop a probe into an alleged a fraudulent sale of assets belonging to Rivers State.

He had approached the Supreme Court to halt the probe instituted against him by the state government, but in a ruling on Friday, the apex court ordered Amaechi to face the Commission of Inquiry set up by the state government to investigate his eight-year tenure as governor.

The Court also dismissed Amaechi’s appeal asking for an order of the court to prohibit his successor, Nyesom Wike, from investigating his two-term tenure.

The Commission of Inquiry inaugurated by Wike was given the mandate to look into the lawful or otherwise of the alleged sale of valuable assets of the state.

Read also :ALLEGED N435BN LOOT: EFCC has no powers to probe accounts of Rivers State – Gov Wike

The listed assets, according to the government, included the Omoku Gas Turbine, Afam Gas Turbine, Trans Amadi Gas Turbine, Eleme Gas Turbine, Olympia Hotel and the award of contract for the execution of Mono Rail Project.

While delivering judgement, Justice Adamu Jauro, held that Amaechi’s suit lacked merit and ought to be dismissed, and was subsequently dismissed.

The Supreme Court also affirmed the judgments of the High Court of Rivers State and that of the Court of Appeal which had earlier dismissed the suit for want of substance and merit.

The apex court fined Amaechi the sum of N1 million, to be paid to Wike.

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