Senator Hope Uzodinma on Tuesday defied invitation by the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for Recovery of Public Property over fraud allegations against him.
Spokesperson of the panel, Ms Lucie-Ann Laha, disclosed this to newsmen in Abuja Tuesday night after a long wait by the panel’s officials and newsmen.
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 of a case on alleged failure of his company to execute a contract of 12 million dollars for the dredging of Calabar Port channel.
Uzodinma was released same day after an interrogation session with officials of the panel, who released him and directed that he should return on Tuesday for continuation of the probe.
Laha, however, stated that the senator failed to appear at the panel’s office as agreed.
Earlier the lawmaker’s camp denied that he was arrested.
“Their latest plot is this Calabar dredging contract”, said Director of Media of the Hope Uzodinma Campaign Organization, Declan Emelumba.
“However they should know that the company handling the Calabar dredging contract is Calabar Channels Management Company in which Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has 60% equity shares.
“So if there is anybody to be arrested for anything then it is the Managing Director of NPA and not a minority partner, Niger Global, in which Sen. Uzodimma is a shareholder,” he added.
Uzodinma is the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Imo State.
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