Former governor of Abia State Orji Uzor Kalu was
arraigned today over a number of charges bordering
on corruption at the Federal High Court by EFCC.
arraigned today over a number of charges bordering
on corruption at the Federal High Court by EFCC.
The ex-governor is alleged to have, amongst other
offences, while he was the Governor of Abia State in
2003, procured Slok Nigeria Limited to retain its
account domiciled with a commercial bank in the
sum of 200 million Naira and that the sum formed
part of the funds illegally derived from the treasury
of Abia State government through another
commercial bank.
However,his trial was stalled by Justice Anuli
Chickere who said she could not go on with the
case when an aspect of the matter was still
pending at the Supreme Court. Justice Chikere
adjourned the case to June 30.
One of the parties charged in the case, Slok
Airlines, which also belongs to Mr Kalu, has an
appeal pending at the apex court.
During proceedings, counsel to Slok Nigeria
Limited, Mr Solomon Akuma, drew the attention of
the court to the pending appeal by his client, Slok
Nigeria Limited, before the Supreme Court which
had not been heard.
Mr Kalu’s trial is coming more than eight years
after he was first arraigned for misappropriation of
state’s funds.
It should be recalled that Supreme Court on March
18 gave the EFCC a ‘go-ahead’ to prosecute the
former Governor.
The charge predicated on alleged complicity of the
former Governor in money laundering and illegal
diversion of public funds of about 5.6 billion Naira.
Mr Kalu was alleged to have perpetuated the fraud
between 1999 and 2007 while he was the Governor
of Abia State.
