N2.9bn fraud: I’ve no case to answer, says Kalu - Johnnybility

N2.9bn fraud: I’ve no case to answer, says Kalu

The former Abia State governor, Orji Kalu, told a Federal High Court in Lagos that he had no case to answer with regard to the alleged fraud charges preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Kalu is being prosecuted alongside his company, Slok Nigeria Limited; and a former Director of Finance and Account at the Abia State Government House, Mr. Ude Udeogu for alleged fraud.
The EFCC, in the charges, alleged that while he was governor of Abia State, Kalu siphoned funds running into over N2.9bn from the state’s treasury.
Kalu’s lawyer, Chief Awa Kalu (SAN), at the resumed hearing on Wednesday, informed Justice Mohammed Idris that he had filed a motion for no-case submission on behalf of his client, stating that the ex-governor had no case to answer with regard to the charges.
The other defense counsel, Chief Solo Akuma (SAN), and K. C. Nwofo (SAN), also informed the court that they had filed no-case submissions on behalf of the other defendants.

Earlier, the EFCC’s counsel, Adebisi Adeniyi, had drawn the court’s attention to an amended charge filed by the anti-graft agency before the commencement of proceedings.
In response, defence lawyers told the court that the defendants had not been served with any amended charge by the prosecution.

Akuma, however, drew the courts attention to the provisions of Section 216 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, which he argued does not allow the prosecution to amend a charge without the leave of court.

In a bench ruling, Justice Idris directed the service of the amended charge on the defendants inside the court.

The defence lawyers, however, sought for an adjournment to enable them to study the amended charge.

Justice Idris adjourned till June 13 for further hearing.