APC Governorship Candidate Shuns Probe Panel Over $12million Contract

The 2019 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress for Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma, on Tuesday defied the invitation by the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for Recovery of Public Property to him to appear and answer questions over alleged fraud against him.

The Spokesperson of the panel, Lucie-Ann Laha, disclosed this to newsmen in Abuja late on Tuesday after a long wait by the panel’s officials and newsmen for the senator.

Uzodinma was on Sunday arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja by the police at the instance of the panel.

He was arrested in connection with a case on alleged failure of his company to execute a contract of $12 million for the dredging of Calabar Port channel.

He was released same day after an interrogation session with officials of the panel, who directed that he should return on Tuesday for the continuation of the probe.

Laha said the senator had defied the invitation by failure to appear at the panel’s office as agreed.

An earlier statement by Chairman of the Panel, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, said Uzodinma had been evading arrest for about a year.

“The panel is investigating economic sabotage against Senator Uzodinma arising out of the failure of his company to execute a contract of 12 million dollars for the dredging of Calabar channel awarded by the Nigeria Ports Authority.”