Alleged Corruption: Court Allows Orji Uzor Kalu To Challenge His Retrial

A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted an order allowing former Abia State Governor, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, to challenge or possibly stop his money-laundering retrial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

THE WHISTLER reported that the anti-graft agency had informed Justice Inyang Ekwo, on February 2, that the EFCC wrote to the chief judge for the transfer of Kalu’s criminal trial from Abuja to Lagos where he was earlier tried, convicted and sentence to 12-year jail term for diversion of about 7.1 billion funds of his state.

The application (on the transfer letter sent to the Chief Judge, Justice John Tsoho) was adjourned to 7 June, 2021, but Justice Ekwo also fixed today, Monday, to hear an ex parte motion filed by Kalu’s counsel, Awa Kalu.

Ruling on the motion on Monday, Ekwo ordered a stay of proceedings on the retrial until the legality of Kalu’s rearrangement was determined.

He also adjourned to February 23, 2021, for Kalu to argue why he does not want his client to be retried by the prosecution.

THE WHISTLER earlier reported that the Supreme Court, had on May 8, 2020, quashed the sentencing of the former governor for lack of jurisdiction of the then trial judge, Mohammed Idris.

It stressed that the judge was not supposed to sit on the case having been elevated to the Appeal Court.

The senator’s firm, Slok Nigeria Limited and former Director of Finance in Abia State, Jones Udeogu, were defendants in the trial.