From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
One year after the arrest of former governor of Imo State, senator Rochas Okorocha at the Royal Palm Hotel Owerri,now recovered and sealed as the property of the State government , the former governor has alleged that his vehicles and that of his aides parked at the premises during the fracas is currently being auctioned by the State government.
Okorocha who disclosed this in a statement through his Special Adviser on media,Sam Onwuemeodo on Sunday alleged that the vehicles which he said is over 50 was taken to government house instead of the police command for auctioning.
Part of the release reads thus :” The cars would have been taken to the Court , where some of the owners of the Cars recovered at the Hotel , have been  standing trial, especially when  the vehicles may be tendered as  exhibits in the course of the trial .
“Unfortunately, the Vehicles,  were taken to the Government House   and not to ,  either the Police Headquarters or the Court where some of the owners of the Vehicles  have been standing trial.
“The government has gone ahead to auction the private cars of the former governor of the state   , those of his security personnel,  those of his aides,  political associates , those of Rochas Foundation College and so on , who were with him on the day the attack at Royal Palm Hotel took place. In doing that , they had thrown caution to the wind.  And you ask,  on what ground were the Vehicles auctioned?.
” Aside these Vehicles,  there are Valuable materials and documents in some of them, including lnternational Passports,    and one had expected that the  Police  would have taken all those items or  materials and documents into their  custody.
“And if the government could auction the  private vehicles of the former governor and his aides and associates, it means they must have also shared  the important materials and documents we are talking about among themselves. They must have also disposed other assets with cases on them ,  either at the High court or the Appeal Court.” Okorocha alleged.
Meanwhile, Okorocha has appealed to the lnspector General of Police  to instruct the Commissioner of Police in lmo to release the vehicles recovered at the Royal Palm Hotel on and other serious and important  materials and documents in some of the Cars.
However reacting to the allegation by Okorocha, the State commissioner for information and strategy,Declan Emelumba denied the claims,insisting that the premises of the Royal Palm hotel remained sealed.
“Go and see for yourself,has the place been opened let alone being auctioned,the place is still sealed.” Emelumba said.