Court Adjourns Uzor-Kalu, Others’ Trial Over Alleged N7.6bn Fraud Indefinitely
A Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday adjourned indefinitely the trial of former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, who is being tried for a N7.6 billion fraud by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Mohammed Idris took the decision to adjourn the case because the special fiat given to him by the President of the Court of Appeal to conduct the trial would elapsed by the end of September and there is no way he could conclude the trial before then.
The judge who was until June a judge of the Federal High Court in Lagos before his elevation to the upper court, however, held that any of the parties in the matter could approach the President of the Court of Appeal to extend the special fiat to enable him conclude the trial.
Justice Idris thereafter announced the indefinite adjournment of the matter to enable him resume fully at the Appellate Court.
The EFCC is prosecuting Kalu, his Commissioner for Finance, Udeh Jones Udeogu, and his company, Slok Nigeria Limited on an amended 39 count charge.
They were alleged to have used the following banks to perpetrate the alleged fraud, Manny Bank, Spring Bank Plc,( now Heritage Bank), the defunct Standard Trust Bank, now United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) and Fin Land Bank, now First City Monument Bank (FCMB).
The alleged offences according to the EFCC are contrary to sections 17(c) 16, 14(1)(b)17(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2003, and sections 427 of the same Act.
The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charge.
