Headlines
Fear of EFCC as Orji Kalu prepares to leave prison
…Commission may arrest former governor
BY NICHOLAS ABE
There is palpable apprehension among family members, friends and associates of former governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, over his fate as he prepares to leave the Correctional Centre, Kuje, where he has been in prison for the past five months.
Kalu had been jailed 12 years by a Federal High Court, Lagos, for stealing N7.1 billion belonging to Abia State, while he was governor between 1999 and 2007.
However, the Supreme Court on Friday nullified the December 5, 2019 judgment of Justice Mohammed Idris that convicted Kalu, a serving senator.
A very well-informed source who spoke with RELIABLESOURCENG.COM confided that the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) which had arraigned Kalu, Senate Chief Whip, in the matter that eventually got him into prison, may be planning to arrest him as soon as he steps out of Kuje centre.
Asked when Kalu was going to leave the prison, our source responded: “The paperwork must be concluded before his release from Kuje prison. Today being Friday I expect that will be next week. We hear EFCC is planning to re-arrest him as soon as he steps out from Kuje Prison.”
The EFCC fear has been further buttressed by the agency’s defiance to the Supreme Court judgment which appeared to have wasted all the effort and hard work put into the investigation, prosecution and eventual conviction of Kalu, a process lasting about 12 years.
READ: Supreme Court verdict on Kalu: I’ve been vindicated – Ozekhome
In a terse statement issued immediately after the judgment, the EFCC described the Supreme Court verdict as unfortunate and declared that it was ready for a fresh trial.
“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.
“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,” the commission vowed in the statement signed by its Head, Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale.