The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, May 16, 2016 filed an amended 34-count charge against Orji Uzor Kalu, former Governor, Abia State.
He is being tried alongside his company, Slok Nigeria Limited and the state’s ex-Director of Finance in the State House, Udeh Jones Udeogu before Justice Anwuri Chikere of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Kalu and his co-accused are being accused of diverting the state’s funds to the tune of N5.6 billion while they were in office between 1999 and 2007.
Kalu, Slok and Udeogu were first arraigned on July 27, 2007.
Upon their arraignment in 2007, the defendants had challenged the competence of the charge up to the Supreme Court, but los as the apex court ordered them to submit themselves for trial.
On April 11, 2016 when the case was mentioned, Justice Chikere adjourned to May 16, 2016 for the defendants to re-enter their plea.
However, at the resumed sitting, counsel to Udeogo and Slok, Solomon Akuma, SAN, told the court that the appeal filed in the name of Slok was yet to be determined by the Supreme Court.
According to him, “there is a third pending appeal by the third defendant (Slok Nigeria Limited). There were three appeals. The appeal by the first defendant has been determined. The second and the third appeal, SC 264A/2012, by the third defendant are still pending.”
Responding, counsel to EFCC, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, confirmed the pendency of the appeal but urged the judge to fix a date for arraignment on the ground that the issues had been substantially determined in the two earlier suits decided by the Supreme Court.
Thereafter, Justice Chikere adjourned to June 30, 2016 for parties to inform the court about development in the appeal before the Supreme Court.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
17th May, 2016
