The Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday fixed December 2, 2019, for judgment in the 12-year trial of a former Abia State Governor Orji Uzor Kalu and two others for an alleged N7.65 billion fraud.
Justice Mohammed Idris fixed the date after the prosecution and the defence adopted their written addresses.
Kalu’s co-defendants are: his firm, Slok Nigeria Limited and Udeh Udeogu, who was Director of Finance and Accounts at the Abia State Government House when Kalu was governor.
The case has been on since 2007, when they were first arraigned for the alleged offences but before a different judge.
In an amended 39 counts, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accused them of conspiring and diverting N7.65 billion from the coffers of the state.
The EFCC alleged that Kalu, who was 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 commission further claimed that the N7.1 billion “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”.
Prosecuting counsel Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) 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, Kalu and the other defendants were also accused of receiving 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.
Nineteen witnesses also testified on behalf of the government. But the defendants pleaded not guilty.
Jacobs urged the judge to jail the defendants as the prosecution had proved the allegations against them. Jacobs said the second defendant allegedly admitted to the offence in his extrajudicial statement and under cross-examination.
“The admission is binding on all the defendants,” the prosecutor said.”
