Ex-Gov Kalu re-arraigned on 39-count charge

Former Abia astate governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, was yesterday re-arraigned at a Federal High Court in Lagos on an amended 39-count bordering on fraud.
Kalu, who is now a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The anti-graft agency is prosecuting Kalu together with his former Commissioner of Finance, Ude Udeogo, and a company, Slok Nigeria Ltd., said to be owned by Kalu.
The EFCC had on October 31, 2016 preferred 34 charges, including a N3.2 billion fraud charge on Kalu.
Kalu and Udeogo had, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail.
The EFCC closed the prosecution in May 2018, after calling a total of 18 witnesses and tendering a plethora of evidences before the court.
When the case came up on July 16, the EFCC prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) informed the court of a “second further amended charge”, urging the court to order the accused to take their pleas.
In a short ruling yesterday, Justice Mohammed Idris, while interpreting the provisions of Sections 216 and 217 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, held that the prosecution could amend the charge.
The court held that it cannot shut out the prosecution from filing a second amended charge as the defence had not showed that the amendment would be prejudicial to it.
After the court’s ruling, the accused were then re-arraigned on the new charges, and they again, each pleaded not guilty, while the court allowed them to continue with the earlier bails granted.
The defence team then informed the court of their various “no case submissions” filed on behalf of the accused, adding that they had served same on the prosecution, which in turn, filed a written address in reply.
The defence argued that the prosecution’s address was over 100 pages and so, they would require time to study same and make a response.
Idris then adjourned the case until July 25 to hear addresses on the “no case’’ submissions.
In the charge, the accused were alleged to have committed the offence between August, 2001 and September, 2006.
Kalu was alleged to have used his company, Slok Nigeria Ltd., to retain N200 million in an account in First Inland Bank, now First City Monument Bank.
The sum is alleged to have formed part of funds illegally derived from the treasury of the Abia state government