EFCC Re-arraigns Abia Governor, Kalu for N7.65bn Fraud

Davidson Iriekpen

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday, re-arraigned a former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, at the Federal High Court in Lagos for an alleged fraud of N7.65 billion.

Kalu was re-arraigned alongside his company, Slok Nigeria Limited, and Ude Udeogu, who served under him as the Director of Finance and Account, Abia State Government House.

The re-arraignment of the defendants followed an amendment to the charges filed against them 11 years ago.

With the amendment, the prosecution increased the number of charges against the defendants from the initial 34 to 39.

The amount quoted to have been allegedly diverted, stolen and laundered by the defendants was also increased from N2.9 billion to N7.65 billion.

The prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), said the amendment to the charges became necessary in view of new facts revealed by some of the 19 witnesses who had testified against Kalu and his co-defendants in court.

During yesterday’s proceedings, the trial judge, Justice Mohammed Idris, dismissed the objection raised by the defence counsel to the amended charge sheet, paving the way for the re-arraignment of the defendants.

In one of the counts, the EFCC alleged that Kalu, who was Abia State 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.”