File photo of Orji Kalu
A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has fixed a date to rule on the ‘no case submission’ filed by former Abia State governor, Orji Uzor-Kalu, alongside other defendants in an alleged fraud case of N7.6billion.
The trial judge, Justice Mohammed Idris, fixed July 31 for the ruling after entertaining arguments from the prosecuting and defence counsels on Wednesday.
Other defendants in the suit are a company reportedly owned by the former governor, Slok Nigeria Limited, and a former Commissioner for Finance in Abia, Udeh Udeogu.
They had contended that the amended charge filed against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) does not disclose any case or offence against them to warrant putting in a defence.
At the last sitting of the court on Tuesday last week, the EFCC amended the charge against the defendants and re-arraigned them after Justice Idris dismissed the objections raised by the defence team.
In the amended charge, the anti-graft agency increased the number of counts against the defendants from the initial 34 to 39.
The amount quoted to have been allegedly diverted, stolen and laundered by the defendants was also increased from N2.9billion to N7.65billion.
EFCC counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, explained that the amendment to the charges became necessary in view of new facts revealed by some of the 19 witnesses who had testified against Kalu and his co-defendants in court.
In one of the counts, the EFCC claimed that Kalu, who was Abia State Governor between 1999 and 2007, “did procure Slok Nigeria Limited – a company solely owned by you and members of your 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 on your behalf.”
The prosecution claimed that the money “formed part of 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.”
Jacobs also argued that the offence violated Section 17(c) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004, and was liable to be punished under Section 16 of the same Act.
Apart from the N7.1billion, which he was accused of laundering, the ex-governor and the other defendants were also alleged to have received a total of N460million reportedly stolen from the Abia State Government treasury between July and December 2002.
The prosecutor said the offence also breached Section 427 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap 77, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990.
On their part, Udeogu and Slok Nigeria Limited, as well as one Emeka Abone and Michael Udo, said to be at large, were accused of collaborating with Kalu to conceal the “genuine origin” of allegedly stolen funds.
The EFCC said the offence was punishable under Section 14(1) (b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004.
When the charges were read to Kalu, Udeogu and Slok Nigeria Limited, they pleaded not guilty as they had done during their previous arraignments.
Justice Idris consequently adjourned till Tuesday next week for ruling on the matter.
The post Alleged Fraud: Court Fixes Tuesday To Rule On Kalu’s ‘No Case Submission’ appeared first on Channels Television.
Alleged Fraud: Court Fixes Tuesday To Rule On Kalu’s ‘No Case Submission’
