* Vows to take matter up
The former governor of Imo State, Dr. Ikedi Ohakim, has dismissed as false and blatant lies the allegation bordering on business transaction against him by one Chinyere Lilian Amuchinwa, which was published in This Day newspaper of August 12, 2020.
Ohakim, in a statement by his Political Adviser Emmanuel Chukwu, not only punched holes in Amuchinwa’s claim, he also discredited it point-by-point as an afterthought.
He described Amuchinwa’s antic as an attempt to blackmail, extort and defame him, adding that she is currently being investigated on account of his petition against her.
The full text of Ohakim’s statement reads:
“Earlier today, being 12th August, 2020, we woke to a defamatory and injurious publication by Thisday newspapers bearing several serious but false allegations against His Excellency, Dr Ikedi Ohakim. The allegations were contained in a Counter-Petition filed on July 8, 2020 against Dr Ohakim by one Mrs. Chinyere Lilian Amuchinwa. By this Press Release, the allegations are hereby denied in their entirety.
“First, the allegations are, to say the least, most ludicrous and laughable. They all together constitute an elaborate and audacious scheme by Ms Amuchinwa (currently a criminal suspect) to blackmail, extort and otherwise defame the person of Dr Ohakim.
“In the Thisday story, Ms Amuchinwa presented herself as “businesswoman”, but did not state the nature of her enterprise and her business address, if any. And to be sure, Ms Amuchinwa had filed this Counter-Petition as an afterthought to an ongoing investigation of her criminal conducts towards Dr Ohakim, based on a Petition Dr Ohakim had filed against her and upon which she was arrested as far back as 20th January, 2020, seven clear months before she was recruited to file her false Petition. We are fully aware of her nefarious sponsors.
“Second, in purporting to have supplied luxury goods worth N110million to Dr Ohakim, she did not state the exact nature of these goods, evidence of request for the goods, acknowledgment receipt and the address of transaction. And why would her fake invoices be in foreign currency, especially in Euros when she does not have any shop in Europe?
“Third, in claiming to have made N500m payment to Dr Ohakim for purchase of land, she dishonestly left out whether such was made through the banking system. As of a fact, if such payment ever existed, it is very easy to track money trail through the banking system. Did she make the payment in cash, foreign currency or how really? Even at that, N500million is certainly a huge sum, so she certainly would require a large bullion van making multiple trips to convey such quantum cash.
“Fourth, Ms Amuchinwa’s Petition constitutes a disingenuous lie concocted from the pit of hell. Dr Ohakim will therefore go to any length and vigorously prove his innocence and ensure that an unconscionable blackmailer/defamer is brought to justice alongside her enablers and co-conspirators. If she had gotten away with blackmail in the past, now she has met her waterloo. As the sages say: ‘To be toss is nothing but to be safely toss’.
“In the coming days, the world and Ms Amuchinwa would be hearing more from Dr Ohakim on this matter.”