Kalu’s Trial Continues Today as Witness Maintains Not Paying Money to Ex-gov

Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday adjourned further hearing in the trial of a former Governor of Abia State, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, and two others over alleged fraud owing to the failure of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to produce its third witness.

EFCC’s lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), had sought an adjournment of the matter following the conclusion of the cross-examination of the second prosecution witness, Christiana Ohiri, by the defence.

He told the court that all his efforts to ensure that another witness was brought to court yesterday could not sail through.

“My lord, I will asking for an adjournment of this matter till tomorrow. I have no other witness to call at the moment.

“Besides, I was thinking the defence will spend more time cross-examining the second prosecution witness. The defence had even threatened me at a point in the course of proceedings that the witness will spend weeks inside the witness box.

“So, I will be pleading with my lord for an adjournment. This is the first time we will be seeking for an adjournment in this matter,” Jacobs said.

However, the defence was opposed to the request for an adjournment.

In his submissions, Kalu’s lawyer, Goddy Uche (SAN), expressed his displeasure over the inability of the prosecution to produce its third witness in the matter.

“My lord, with due respect to my brother silk, I am opposed to the request for adjournment. My client flew in from abroad because of this matter. In the alternative, I want to suggest that the matter be stand down for about one hour to allow the prosecution produce its witnesses,” he said.

Other defence lawyers, Solo Akuma (SAN) and K. C. Nwofo (SAN) also expressed their objections to the request for adjournment.

After listening to the arguments of parties in the matter, Justice Idris adjourned further hearing in the matter till today.

Earlier at yesterday’s proceedings, the witness, Christiana Ohiri, while being re-examined by EFCC’s lawyer, Jacobs, emphasised that she did not personally meet all the people who carried out transactions with the 36 bank drafts issued by her bank.

She had while corroborating the evidence of the first prosecution witness, Onovah Ogonevoh, told the court that no payment was made to Kalu from government house account between 2002 and 2005.

While being crossexamined by Kalu’s lawyer, Uche, over a document containing information about 36 bank drafts issued by the Umuahia branch of the bank, Ohiri said no draft was either paid by Kalu or issued in his name.

Responding to a question from the silk, the witness said, “the first defendant, Kalu did not personally come to me to purchase any draft and his name was not included on any of the drafts.

“The first defendant’s name or photograph also does not feature in the mandate cards of the signatories to the Government House Account.”