At the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday, former
Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, was arraigned on charges
bordering on corruption.
Justice Anuli Chickere said she could not go on with the case when
an aspect of the matter was still pending at the Supreme Court. One of
the parties charged in the case, Slok Airlines, which also belongs to
Kalu, has an appeal pending at the apex court.
During proceedings, counsel to Slok Nigeria Limited, Solomon Akuma,
drew the attention of the court to the pending appeal by his client,
Slok Nigeria Limited, before the Supreme Court which had not been heard.
He informed the court that briefs in the appeal had been filed and
exchanged, but no hearing date has been fixed for the appeal. Akuma,
therefore, asked for an adjournment to allow all parties to properly
come before the court.
The lawyers for the defendants also told the court that the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) just served the former
Governor an amended charge to replace the 107-count charge brought
against him in 2007. They requested for time to study the charges and
prepare adequately for the case.
The former Chief Executive of Abia State, is alleged to have,
amongst other offences, while he was the Governor of Abia State in 2003,
procured Slok Nigeria Limited to retain its account domiciled with a
commercial bank in the sum of 200 million Naira and that the sum formed
part of the funds illegally derived from the treasury of Abia State
government through another commercial bank.
After hearing the arguments, Justice Chikere adjourned the case to
June 30 to enable the third defendant conclude its appeal at the Supreme
Court.
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