EFCC Re-Arraigns APC Cheiftan ,Orji Uzor Kalu

EFCC Re-Arraigns An Eastern APC Cheiftan ,Orji Uzor Kalu

A former governor of Abia State, and a Chieftain of the all progressive Congress  Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, was  re-arraigned today at a Federal High Court in Lagos on an amended 39-count bordering on fraud by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Naija News understands that the anti-graft agency is prosecuting Mr Kalu alongside his former Commissioner for Finance, Ude Udeogo, and a company, Slok Nigeria Ltd., said to be owned by Mr Kalu on a preferred 34-count charges, including a N3.2 billion fraud charge.

Mr Kalu was alleged to have used his company, Slok Nigeria Ltd., to retain N200 million in an account in First Inland Bank, now First City Monument Bank. The sum is alleged to have formed part of funds illegally derived from the treasury of the Abia State Government.

In one of the counts, Mr Kalu, his company (Slok Nig Ltd), one Emeka Abone and Michael Akpan, who are said to be at large, were also alleged to have between 2001 and September 2006, collaborated to commit an offence.

Naija News also learnt that they were alleged to have concealed the genuine origin of an aggregate sum of N7.2 billion, which formed part of funds illegally derived from the Abia State Treasury, and converted same into several bank drafts, which were subsequently, paid into the account of Slok Nigeria Ltd.

In counts one to 10, the accused were alleged to have retained about N2.7 billion in different accounts, which funds were said to belong to the Abia State Government. Cumulatively, in all the counts, the accused were alleged to have diverted over N7.1 billion from the Abia State Government’s treasury, during Kalu’s tenure as governor.

The offences contravene the provisions of Sections 14, 15(6), 16, 17 and 21 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2005.

They also contravene the provisions of the Money Laundering Act of 1995 as amended by the amendment Act No. 9 of 2002 and Section 477 of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation.