The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC ),has arraigned former governor of Abia State,Orji Uzor Kalu before the Justice Eyang Ekwo of Abuja High Court on Tuesday over lingering allegation of fraud.
A Lagos High Court had on Thursday, December 5, 2019, sentenced Kalu who is also,a serving Senator to 12 years imprisonment for N7.65 billion.
Justice Mohammed Idris who delivered the judgement had declared him guilty of the charge in the case that had been on for 12 years .
Kalu who is representing the people of Abia North in the Senate on the platform of the All Progressives Congress APC was tried alongside his company,Slok Nigeria Limited and Udeh who was Director of Finance and Accounts at the Abia State Government House during Kalu’s tenure as governor.
EFCC’s Prosecution had claimed that Kalu converted public funds under him to personal use.
Rotimi Jacob, the Anti- graft agency’s prosecuting counsel had accused Kalu in one of the 39 counts charge preferred against him that Kalu,who was Abia State Governor between 1999 and 2007, did procure Slok Nigeria Liimited,a company solely owned by him and members of his family to retain in its account domiciled with the then Inland Bank Plc,Apapa branch,Lagos,an aggregate sum of N7. 197,871,208.7
Jacobs claimed that the N7.1 billion formed party if the funds illegally derived from the treasury of the Abia State Government and which was converted into several bank drafts before they were paid into the said company’s account.
According to him, the ex- governor violated Section 17(c) of the money laundering ((Prohibition) Act,2004, and was liable to be punished under Section 16 of the state Act.
The former governor was also accused of receiving along with members of his family, the sum of N460 million allegedly stolen from the Abia State Government House between July and December 2002.
Following his conviction,Kalu was in prison until May8, 2020, when a 7 man panel of the Supreme Court voided his 12 year jail term.
The Supreme Court based it’s verdict on the grounds that Justice Mohammed Idris,who convicted Kalu and others had been elevated to the Court of Appeal before the Judgement and returned to the lower court to deliver the judgement which it considered as illegal.
The EFCC not satisfied with the Apex court judgement describing as unfortunate, announced that it would press more charges against the former governor.
In a statement ,Head, Media and Publicity of EFCC,Dele Oyewale said the judgement was a technical ambush against the trial of the former governor.
The Commission said” it is prepared for a fresh and immediate trial of the case because its evidence against Kalu and others are overwhelming. The corruption charges against Kalu still subsists because the Supreme Court did not acquit him of them.”
