EFCC FUMES, SAYS ORJI KALU WILL FACE IMMEDIATE RETRIAL
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| Orji Uzor Kalu, former Abia state governor (m). |
The
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) appears not be happy over the Supreme
Court’s voiding of Orji Kalu, former Abia state governor’s conviction for money
laundering. Kalu had been sentenced to 12 years in jail by a Federal High
Court before the apex court nullified his conviction on Friday.
The
Commission, according NAN, says the former governor will face immediate retrial.
Although
the apex court did not acquit him of the charges of money laundering, the court
upturned the verdict of the trial court on the grounds that Mohammed Liman, the
judge who heard the case, was no longer a judge of the Federal High Court at
the time he handled and delivered the judgment that convicted the defendants
for allegedly stealing about N7.1bn from the Abia State treasury when he was
governor.
The
apex court, in a unanimous decision by a seven-member panel led by Justice
Amina Augie, held that the Federal High Court in Lagos acted without
jurisdiction when it convicted Kalu, his firm, Slok Nigeria Limited and a
former Director of Finance in Abia State, Jones Udeogu, in December last year.
It
further held that trial Justice Mohammed Liman was no longer a judge of the
Federal High Court as of the time he sat and.
In
a statement hours after the apex court’s decision, the EFCC said it will begin
the prosecution of Kalu immediately.
The
anti-graft agency described the judgment as a technical ambush against the
trial of the former governor.
The
statement reads in part:
The attention of the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to the judgment of the Supreme Court nullifying the trial of a former governor of Abia State, Orji Kalu , his firm, Slok Nigeria Limited and Jones Udeogu, a former Director of Finance and Account of Abia State Government and ordering their fresh trial at the lower court,” it said in a statement issued by Dele Oyewale, its spokesman.The apex court based its verdict on the grounds that Justice Mohammed Idris, who convicted Kalu and others, had been elevated to the Court of Appeal before the judgment and returned to the lower court to deliver the judgment which it considered as illegal.
The
EFCC considers the judgment of the apex court as quite unfortunate. It is a
technical ambush against the trial of the former governor.
The
Commission is prepared for a fresh and immediate trial of the case because its
evidences against Kalu and others are overwhelming. The corruption charges
against Kalu still subsist because the Supreme Court did not acquit him of
them. The entire prosecutorial machinery of the EFCC would be launched in a
fresh trial where justice is bound to be served in due course.”
Kalu
was tried on 39 counts of money laundering to the tune of N7.1 billion.
Meanwhile,
he has said his five months in jail afforded him the opportunity of learning
“invaluable lessons” about Nigeria and the citizenry.
Kalu,
the Chief Whip of the Senate and who is representing Abia North Senatorial
District at the red chamber, stated this while reacting to a Supreme Court
judgment delivered in his favour on Friday.
Kalu
said, “The past five months have been quite a profound period for me. As
challenging as that period has been, it has provided me an opportunity to learn
invaluable lessons about our country, our peoples, our justice system, and the
true meaning of love. I mean love for family, love for our country, and love
for humanity.”
He,
however, expressed delight that the Supreme Court judgment affirmed his right
to a fair hearing and equal protection of the law.
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