Government arraigns Kalu, others over alleged N3.2 billion fraud
Previous legislative leader of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu PHOTO: LADIDI LUCY ELUKPO
•PDP yields to advance looking to exclude Ayade
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday charged previous Abia State Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu and two others under the watchful eye of a Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja.
Kalu, his ex-associate, Jones Udeogo and organization, Slok Nigeria Limited, were summoned on a 34-number charge.
Prior to the arraignment, Kalu and others protested their re-arraignment, asking the court to anticipate the pending bid by Slok under the steady gaze of the Supreme Court.
The trial Judge, Justice Anwuri Chikere, rejected the respondents' protest and requested that the charges be perused to them.
In the corrected charge, they were blamed for redirecting about N3.2 billion from the Abia State Government's treasury when he held office as the representative.
They, notwithstanding, argued not liable to the charges.
The court likewise conceded them abandon the terms connected to the safeguard allowed them on April 30, 2008 when they were prior charged before Justice Adamu Bello (now resigned).
The court had therefore suspended till December 6, for the beginning of trial.
Kalu and others were at first charged in 2007 preceding Justice Bello, then of the Federal High Court, Abuja. They additionally argued not liable to the charges.
Direction to the ex-representative, Awa Kalu, had asked the court to permit them stay on the safeguard prior allowed them.
Indictment counsel, Rotimi Jacobs did not question the position campaigned by the safeguard , however said he was occupied with the trial.
In the interim, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday yielded to the bid recorded by Joe Agi, looking to exclude Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State, over bogus announcement of age.
In the bid, Agi told the pinnacle court that Ayade lied about his age in the designation structure submitted to the PDP, in spite of the gathering's rule.
He had in a pre-race matter taken Ayade, the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under the watchful eye of a Federal High Court on the ground that he paraded distinctive and clashing age revelations.
He held that by the constitution of the gathering, Ayade was not qualified to fly the gathering's banner as the governorship applicant and all things considered, he who came next in the primaries ought to be proclaimed as the true competitor.
In a judgment conveyed on July 31, 2015, Justice Abdul Kafarati had rejected Agi's case on the ground that the matter was not demonstrated past sensible uncertainty.
In any case, Agi had contended that the choice of the lower courts maintaining the preparatory protests of the principal (PDP) and third (Ayade) respondents, just managed one ground of the litigant's case, without considering the ground of the case verging on the presentation of clashing age assertions.
He held that the errors in age affirmation were in spite of Articles 14 (b) and 15 (2) of the Electoral Guidelines for the Primary Elections 2014 of the PDP and the Electoral Act.
At the becoming aware of the advance yesterday, insight to the PDP, N.P Ibegbulam of the Ferdinand Orbih's chambers, encouraged the five-man board of the judges to discover merit in the advance.
As indicated by him, the PDP rule did not shape part of the appealing party case at the trial courts.
The court has saved judgment till December 9.
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