The Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State on Thursday denied complicity in the alleged looting of public treasury during the 2015 general elections, saying it could not have known that the money sent to it from Abuja was stolen money.

Dan Orbih, the state party chairman, who is among party bigwigs under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for plundering the country’s treasury during the last general election, said the party in the state received N700 million from the national headquarters but said he thought the money was from the party’s campaign fund.

Orbih told journalists that while he did not question the source of the money, he ensured that it was judiciously used to the satisfaction of the party leaders, including former president, Goodluck Jonathan.

“It is a standard practice all over the world for political parties to raise money for election.

“The money we received was sent to us from Abuja and we believed it was from the money realized during the fund raising dinner,” he said, adding, “Edo State PDP was not in a position to know where the money came from.”