The Judicial Panel of Inquiry on the Recovery of Government Property and Funds has recovered a Toyota Hilux vehicle from the former Chairman of Abia State Oil Producing Communities Development Commission, ASOPADEC, Sam Nwogu.
Chairman of the Panel, Justice Florence Duruoha-Igwe, rtd, who disclosed quoted the former ASOPADEC chairman as saying that the vehicle was bequeathed to him by the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.
She further said that evidence clearly showed that the vehicle in question was used by head of the Works Department in ASOPADEC, Mr Gberemakor Chukwuemeka.
While noting that efforts made to trace if the vehicle was bequeathed to Nwogu by NDDC have not been successful, Justice Duruoha-Igwe directed that the vehicle to be parked at the panel’s premises.
According to the chairman, Nwogu failed to adhere to the notice served on him to produce the vehicle for physical Inspection by the panel.
In his Submission, the Lead Counsel representing the Panel, H.N. Doruoha, asserted that Nwogu had not adhered to the panel’s instruction.
He emphasized that the notice sent to Nwogu explicitly outlined the requirement for him to make the vehicle available for inspection.
On the opposing side, A.S. Amaramiro, counsel for Sam Nwogu, contended that the disputed vehicle was not assigned to Nwogu by the Abia State Government, but rather by the NDDC.
