Kalu’s Trial Over N5.6bn Fraud Stalled

The trial of former Governor of Abia, Orji Uzor Kalu, for alleged N5.6 billion fraud was last Thursday stalled at the Federal High Court in Abuja due to a pending appeal.

Kalu had approached the Supreme Court after failing at the Court of Appeal to set aside the decision of the trial Court to uphold the charges levelled against him by the EFCC.

The appeal is seeking the order of the apex court to set aside the decision of the trial court by quashing the charges leveled against him.

Kalu had urged the trial court to quash the charges as no evidence was established against the accused.

The anti-graft agency had among other things accused the former governor of stealing over N5.6 billion belonging to Abia State while in office.

At the resumed session, Mr O. Ololagbe, Counsel to EFCC, said the accused had resorted to various legal tactics to delay his trial.

“My Lord, this matter has dragged on since 2007 when the accused was arraigned and does not seem to have made any head ways,’’ he said.

However, Kalu urged the court to discountenance the allegation made by Ololagbe, saying that “the accused person is rightly before the Supreme Court.

“My Lord, the appeal and the brief of argument have been entered, so what is left now is a date to commence hearing.

“The reason we are here today is simply to brief the trial court on the progress of the appeal and not to question a possible legal tactics to delay the trial.

“These are serious criminal allegations that are not founded on truth but built on political leanings. So we must deal with it judicially and judiciously, irrespective of the time consumed.’’

Meanwhile, Justice Adamu Bello has adjourned the matter to July 8 for the report of progress from the Supreme Court.