Allegations Against Me By ‘Intelligence Watch UK’ Are Spurious – Victor Ochei

PHOTO: A FILE PHOTO MR. VICTOR OCHEI (IN DARK SHADES) AT A FUNCTION.

San Francisco, May 15, (THEWILL) –Delta State lawmaker and Chairman, House Committee on Education has dismissed allegations levelled against him that he did not properly declare his assets at the Code of Conduct Bureau by a group called 'Intelligence Watch UK'.

The group which THEWILL independent investigation has linked to Mr. Ndudi Elumelu, a federal lawmaker who is currently being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes commission (EFCC) for his role in the Rural Electrification Scam, had in a petition addressed to the commission accused Mr. Ochei of various offences including fronting for various top government officials.

Our checks also revealed that Mr. Elumelu was also behind another similar petition addressed to the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) under a bogus and unregistered group called Zenith Solicitors earlier in the year. The group also published an advertorial on April 29th and May 09, 2010 in the Vanguard, a local newspaper using a forged logo of an Abuja based law firm, Ekhator & Co and also deceitfully included the name of a partner in the firm as the author of the advertorial, where it accused Mr. Ochei of the same offences.

Mr. Douglas Ekhator, a senior partner at the firm was forced to issue a disclaimer to the EFCC and Vanguard after the said advertorial was brought to his attention and the Vanguard newspaper published it on May 12, 2010, according to our checks.
See vanguard report as published on May 12, 2010.

" Lawyer denies petitioning EFCC over lawmaker

"ABUJA—AN Abuja- based law firm, Ekhator, Ekhator has denied authorizing any petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, against member representing Aniocha North Constituency in Delta State, Mr. Victor Ochei.

"In a statement made available to Vanguard, the law firm said its attention was drawn to an advertorial published in the Vanguard on 29 April 2010 and 9 May 2010 titled "Corrupt enrichment, non compliance to due process and relevant laws in contract awards by Hon Victor Ochie, member representing Aniocha North Constituency in Delta State House of Assembly, purportedly emanating from the firm but which actually was a forgery of the firm’s letterhead paper and the signature of the principal partner of the law firm.

"In a disclaimer addressed to the chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Douglas Ekhator of Ekhator, Ekhator and co said, "I must state it here categorically that I do not know Mr. Victor Ochei. I have never investigated him, neither am I holding anybody’s brief against him. I have no interest whatsoever in the activities of Mr. Victor Ochei or Delta State politics as a whole."

"While expressing displeasure at what he called "this criminal act against us", he stressed that the law office of Ekhator, Ekhator and co was into strict law practice and urged the EFCC to ignore and discard the petition."

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/05/12/lawyer-denies-petitioning-efcc-over-lawmaker/

Before this, the group had used a Vanguard reporter to publish another report on January 19, 2010 also accusing Mr. Ochei of a similar offence.
See vanguard report below:

" Lawmaker faces probe over $549.6m property scam

"ABUJA—A group under the auspices of Zenith Solicitors has petitioned the Presidency, the Governor of Delta State, Chief Emmanuel Uduaghan and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other related Offences Commission, ICPC, over allegations that a lawmaker in Delta State House of Assembly, Victor Ochei illegally acquired property worth $549.6 in the United States.

"The petitioners alleged that the lawmaker has other property worth millions of Naira in Lagos, Delta and other parts of the country, and four companies, which they said he acquired without due process.
The group has also forwarded a copy of the petition to the National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Vincent Ogbulafor and the Delta State chapter of the party.

"Mr. Ochei represents Aniocha North Constituency in the State House of Assembly under the PDP platform. The petition, dated 22 July 2009 is urging the ICPC to investigate and prosecute the lawmaker for flouting the provisions of the constitution and due process in carrying out his duties."

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/01/19/lawmaker-faces-probe-over-549-6m-property-scam/

In the latest petition this time under the name 'Intelligence Watch UK' which was dated April 20, 2010, signed by Mr. Jude Omuma and addressed to the Chairman of the commission, Mrs. Farida Waziri with a copy sent to the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau, the group wrote:

"MASSIVE FRAUD AND CORRUPT ENRICHMENT USING DAVNOTCH NIGERIA LIMITED OWNED BY HON. VICTOR OCHEI MEMBER REPRESENTING ANIOCHA NORTH CONSTITUENCY IN DELTA STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY

"We are writing to bring to your knowledge the massive fraud that is going on in Delta State, and implore you to take immediate action to curb this looting of Delta State treasury by Hon. Victor Ochei.

"Our investigation revealed that Hon. Victor Ochei’s companies handle power projects in Delta state. More worrisome is the fact over 80% of Power and Energy projects in Delta state are handled by companies owned by the said Victor Ochei (1) DAV-NOTCH NIG LTD, with RC. No: 316225 (2) KACHI & BUBE NIG LTD, with RC. No: 491585 (3) HANVIC IND. LTD.　 With RC. No: 385425 (4) DONALD AND MONICA ENTERPRISE.

"Please see the attached FORM CAC 7 and FORM CAC 2 showing Directors and shareholders respectively.

"These projects never followed due process in their award process, they were never advertised; no bidding process and their cost implications showed that they were over invoiced and highly inflated. This type of insiders trading is completely prohibited by our laws and smacks –off flagrant disregard to due process and existing prohibitive laws to such corrupt enrichment.

"It will interest you to know that the acts of insiders trading and abuse of office of Hon. Victor Ochei has become a source of concern to even his fellow members of the Delta State House of Assembly.

"The said Hon. Victor Ochei is the Committee Chairman on Education, member of appropriation committee, Power and Energy committees in Delta State House of Assembly. As evidenced in the attached document to this petition, he took advantage of his position as a member of power and energy committee and all past and on–going power projects were awarded to his company DavNotch Nig Ltd without the requisite due process of contract awards.

"Particularly of interest is the fact that as a member of appropriation committee, he was involved in appropriating over inflated and mind burgling sums of money to the said projects being awarded to his company. All major projects from the ministry of Education were and are currently being handled by his companies. These issues borders on acts of stealing, conspiracy to steal, abuse of office and insiders trading cannot be over emphasized.

"A major fraud going on now in Delta State is the Delta State Independent Power Project in Oghareki, Delta state in which the same DavNotch Nig. Ltd is the contractor. The sum awarded for the project is over N27 billion and more than 50% of the said sum has been paid. Up until today nothing is going on in the site in Oghareki, Delta State. Particularly of concern also is the fact that Delta State is yet to obtain the license from National Electric Commission for the said Independent power project and the project has been awarded, over 50% out of N27 billion has been paid and no evidence of work going on in the site.

"The design of the Power plant was awarded to MCE International based in Houston with office at 5904 Bingle Road, Houston Texas 77092 United Sates. (Find attached picture) of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and Hon. Victor Ochei and others when they visited the company in Houston Texas USA. The design of the Power plant is $4 million.

"It is very clear from the foregoing that DavNotch Nig. Ltd is used as a conduit pipe to siphone money from Delta State and the said Victor Ochei and his company is fronting for very top Government officials in Delta State in this self enrichment bid.

"The over 20 kilometer street light project on the Onitsha Benin highway in Asaba was handled by Davnotch Limited for over N650million and also the streets in Asaba. The street lights in Asaba are run by 15 units of fake Chinese 30 kva generators. These generators are run by diesel supplied by Uduaghan wife’s company ONOVIN LTD owned her husband’s brother Vincent Uduaghan. The supply of diesel to run the generators cost the Delta State Government N200million monthly.

"We refer your commission to the publications of 26th April, 2010 on page 52 vanguard Newspaper, page 21 of Pointer Newspapers and page 64 of Thisday Newspapers in which the said Victor Ochei accepted that he is the Chairman of DavNotch Nig Ltd and that he loaned the sum of N90 million to Judora Integrated services Nigeria Ltd for which he is currently having a legal battle with Judora Integrated Services Nigeria Ltd.

"It is very important to ask what the salary of a Delta State house member is which will afford such luxury and extravagance. The said allegation of loaning Judora Integrated services Nigeria Ltd N90 million is erroneous. We invite your commission to investigate DavNotch Nig Ltd bank accounts in which one of them is Zenith Bank 6012921288.

"The code of conduct Act deems it as highly criminal act with strict penalty for a public/political office holder not to declare his/her assets while assuming such office and properties acquired having assumed such office.

"Please be informed that several of the properties stated below were acquired by Hon. Victor Ochei while in office, and not declared to the code of conduct bureau.

"The properties amongst which are a $549,565,00 (Five Hundred and Forty Nine Thousand, Five Hundred and Sixty　Five Dollars) property located at No. 580 Pelican Ave, Gaithersburg, MD, 20877 in Maryland, United States of America. This property was purchased in February 2006 and was fully paid for. Documents personally executed by Hon. Victor Ochei with regards to the above transactions are hereby attached.

"Other mind burgling purchases not declared to the code of conduct Bureau are choice properties located in Victoria garden city Lagos worth over N350 million Naira each, several properties in the FCT are worthy of note. But particularly and mind buggling are properties as stated below:

"1.　Office Complex called "DavNotch House" by Summit road opposite Ministry of Power & Energy Asaba, Delta State.

"2.　Acres of bare land at No: 36 Anwai Rd, Asaba, Delta State.

"3.　2 Building; a very big Duplex and a bungalow No. 1 and No: 3 Donald Ochie Avenue off Government House Rd, Asaba Delta State.

"4. Developing properties on the left just before Alum Close by Bishop Nwosu Street, off Okpanam Road, After Southgate Hotel, Asaba Delta State, After Rodeaw Church.　

"5.　2 Acres of lands opposite Legislative quarters, Asaba Delta State.

"6.　Club House by DBS Road, opposite shalom garden, Asaba Delta State.

"7.　4 Acres of lands opposite Asaba Airport, Asaba Delta State.

"8. 2 Acres of land on Asaba Express way after Asagba market, after the airport, Asaba Delta State.

"9.　A Bungalow of 2 flats by Oliseyenim Street, off Havilla Hotel Road, Asaba Delta State.

"10.　Ministry of Higher Education and Directorate of Science and Technology Building, 35 Jesus Road, off summit Road, Asaba Delta State.

"11.　6 Acres of land used for poultry on Issele-Uku/Issele-Mkpidtime Rd, Asaba Delta State.

"12.　6 Acres of land used for Pineapple farm on Issele-Uku/Onicha ugbo Express Rd, Asaba Delta State.

"13.　4 Acres of land on Issele-Azagba/Edu –Ogwashi Express road, Asaba Delta State.

"14.　A very massive house in Ogbekenu Village, Onicha Olona, Delta State.

"15.　Other properties in other states abound.

"It is important that you carry a thorough investigation on the looting of Delta State by Hon. Victor Ochei and his accomplices in Uduaghan led Delta state Government.

"But Mr. Ochei in a swift reaction first via an SMS said "A rejoinder to these petitions have since been written by solicitor Dr. Akpo Mudiaga Odje of Dr Mudiaga Odje SAN & Co to the EFCC Chairman.

"In addition based on a disclaimer by Ekhator, Ekhator & Co as to the forgery of his signature on d petition, we have accordingly petitioned for a thorough investigation and prosecution.

"With this disclaimer published in d vanguard newspaper of I2th May 2010 at page 8, the basis for further publications of these blatant falsehoods no longer suffice.

"It is a political garb and garbage. All lies… my asset declaration is there for all to see."

Following up with a conference call to defend the allegations on Saturday Mr. Ochei said, "As far as I am concerned everything written there is spurious, they are all spurious allegations and unfounded. And I say on my honour that I am ready and willing anytime I am called upon to give account of my public life and my corporate life.

"As a Nigerian citizen and as a legislator in the Federal Republic of Nigeria I am allowed by the constitution to engage in any legitimate business because my position as a legislator and public officer is part-time by virtue of section 109 of the constitution, so if anybody says I did not declare my assets the onus is on them to prove because they alleged. I was doing business as a contractor in the state before democratic governments in the state were inaugurated.

"If they claim that I have not declared all my properties and they claim they can display them then they can as well declare my Code of Conduct Bureau Form to be sure that I did not declare all my properties, then I will own up.

"But I am telling you without fear of contradiction that everything that stands to my name as Victor Ochei was declared you can go and cross check. The anti graft agencies have done their job and I believe they will do their checks again so I have nothing to fear.

"On a second count let me ask, If the true intention of the petitioner is to have me properly investigated why send the petition to media houses to publish and make the information public. Making your petition public gives me the opportunity to go and correct everything that would have been there if I have done any wrong because they wouldn’t know my reach. But of course it is an election year and its time for mudslinging and when you cannot win me by the ballot box you try to go the way of mudslinging.

"I just want to thank you guys for giving me the opportunity to be heard because a lot of people just go there and slander me. I have read some of the comments people have made about me when they read the petition online and I was amused and wondered if they were talking about me, Victor Ochei or some other person.

"But that’s what you get with sensational media because everybody wants to hear or read about someone’s downfall and people hardly want to read about how to develop the growth of the country.

"Sadly it is just silly politics, that’s all, he added."

Mr. Ochei has promised to fax us copies of all his Code of Conduct forms and other documents including financial documents to prove his innocence.