A lawyer, Azubuike Ihemeje, has filed two petitions against Reno Omokri, a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) over alleged discrepancies in his appointment letter and pay slip, which he posted on his social media handles.

Ihemeje, in the petitions made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt, yesterday, claimed that Omokri’s employment documents showed criminal misrepresentation, taking and receiving salaries above his employment status and obtaining by false pretence.

A media consultant and political analyst, Oraye Franklyn, had claimed that Omokri was not an aide to Jonathan but was a personal employee of the late Oronto Douglas, who was an aide to Jonathan. He challenged Omokri to publish his letter of appointment by President Jonathan, appointing him and, to that effect, conferring on him the status of presidential aide.

Ihemeje, in the petitions, said Omokri, by his exchange with Oraye, claimed he was obtaining and receiving salaries from the coffers of the Federal Government as Senior Special Assistant, in contrast to his only disclosed letter of appointment bearing Special Assistant, thereby showing a clear case of obtaining excess salaries by false pretence.”

The petition reads: “That sometime between August 2011 and May 2015, the suspect mentioned above, who operates on various social media platforms with the name; Reno Omokri, by his claims and admissions, worked for the Federal Republic of Nigeria as special assistant to the President.

“That sometime, on September 15, 2022, the suspect voluntarily published his letter of appointment and his payment slip as proof of a duly appointed worker in the Federal Government of Nigeria then.

“To our chagrin and a huge disappointment, we observed some fundamental discrepancies between the suspect’s appointment status and the salary designation, and we observed some fundamental discrepancies between the suspect’s appointment status and the salary designation with which he serially obtained.” He called for investigation into the matter.

“Consequently, sir, we respectfully request that you deploy your very best forensic investigative team to thoroughly investigate this case to ascertain the criminal breaches thereof and also to ensure that the suspect and any other person(s) involved in this apparent criminality are brought to book under our extant criminal jurisprudence.”(The Guardian:Text, excluding headline)