EFCC SECURES JUDGEMENT AGAINST SERVING NIGERAN SENATOR... Orji Uzor Kalu convicted for N7.65 billion fraud

Orji Uzor Kalu

A federal High court in Lagos on Thursday, has finally laid to rest the fraud and corrupt practices charges against the former  Abia State Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, when it found him guilty of fraud.

Justice Mohammed Idris, while delivering his judgement said Senator Kalu was guilty of the offences for which he was charged, tried and convicted

The former Abia State Governor has been facing trial for over a decade after he was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly carting away billions of naira while he served as Abia State governor.

Mr Kalu was tried alongside his company, Slok Nigeria Limited, and Udeh Udeogu, who was Director of Finance and Accounts at the Abia State Government House during Kalu’s tenure as governor.

The judge had on October 22,2019 reserved judgement till December 5th after both the prosecution and the defence counsels had adopted their written submissions before the court.

Senator Uzor kalu, along with his co-defenders were  charged with,   amongst other charges in  the amended 39-count charge, were accused by the EFCC of conspiring and diverting over N7 billion from the coffers of the state.

In one of the counts, the EFCC alleged that Mr Kalu, who was Abia State Governor between 1999 and 2007, “did procure Slok Nigeria Limited – 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 on his behalf.”

The prosecution claimed that the N7.1 billion “formed part of the funds illegally diverted 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.”

Prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, said 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 same Act.

Apart from the N7.1 billion, which he was accused of laundering, the ex-governor and the other defendants were also accused of receiving a total of N460 million allegedly stolen from the Abia State Government treasury between July and December 2002.

The prosecutor said they breached Section 427 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap 77, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990.

The defendants however pleaded not guilty to all the counts.

In an attempt to prove the allegations, the prosecution called 19 witnesses while the defendants testified on behalf of themselves.