Feb.06, 2010
The police authorities have decided to release the official report on their investigation into the case of money laundering involving top officials of the Anambra State government. According to Police sources “the official report would be issued by the office of the Inspector General of Police, Ogbonna Onovo.”
It will be recalled that the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Peter Obi on Media, Valentine Obienye, was on Sunday, May 19, 2009, arrested alongside two police officers attached to Government House, Awka, by policemen from the Lagos State Police Command on a tip off that they were carrying two million naira cash to the headquarters of Next International, Governor Obi’s personal office.
The money was suspected to belong to the Anambra State government.
Dependable sources at the police headquarters, said, “Onovo decided to release the report after the election so that he would not be accused of spoiling the chances any of the candidates in the February 6, 2010, gubernatorial election, in which the incumbent state Governor is seeking to be re_elected.”
According to the source, involved in the investigation “we were unable to establish that the enormous raw cash, transported all the way from Awka in a jeep with a Government House registration number, was stashed in his personal office for the good of Anambra State”.
State government officials have, however, explained that the money was for the payment of a number of vehicles procured by the administration for different projects and programmes.
Emeka Ojukwu, Jr, then the Transport Commissioner, was reported as saying that he was not aware of such contract, prompting his sudden resignation.