Court to rule on Kalu, others’ no case submission July 31

A federal High Court in Lagos will on July 31, 2018 determine the no-case submission filed by former Abia State Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu and two others over an alleged N3.2 billion fraud.

The trial judge, Justice Mohammed Idris, fixed the date after hearing parties’ argument and adopted their written addresses in the case brought against the defendants by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) .

In the suit, Kalu was charged alongside his Director of Finance, Udeh None Udeogu and Slok Nigeria Limited for allegedly diverting N3.2 billion from the Abia State Government’s treasury between 2001 and 2005.

They had pleaded not guilty to the amended 36 count charges bordering on fraud using Manny Bank, Spring Bank Plc, the defunct Standard Trust Bank and Fin Bank, now First City Monument Bank (FCMB) to perpetrate the fraud.

The EFCC said the offence was contrary to sections 17(c) 16, 14 (1) (b) 17 (a) and 427 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2003.

However, following their plea, EFCC commenced trial and at the close of the prosecution’s case, Kalu and others filed a no-case-submission, urging the court to dismiss the charges and free them of the allegations.

When the matter was mentioned yesterday, defence counsel, Awa Kalu, Solo Akume, Kingsley Nwofo, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), argued that the prosecution failed to establish the case against their clients.

However, a businessman, Adebola Omodele, was yesterday remanded in prison custody for defrauding one Kuburat Lawal, wife of former governor of Kwara State, the late Mohammed Lawal, of N8.5 million.

Justice Sule Hassan ordered his remand following his arraignment by the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (SCIID), Panti-Yaba, Lagos.

He was arraigned on two count charges bordering on conspiracy and obtaining by false pretense. He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Meanwhile, an Igbosere Magistrate Court in Lagos has granted bail to one Peter Thomas in the sum of N5 million for allegedly stealing $102, 000 belonging to his boss, Onyeama Adigwe.

Thomas, a maid to Adigwe was granted bail after his arraignment before Magistrate Aro Lambo, by the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (FCIID), Alagbon-Ikoyi, Lagos

The prosecution counsel, Morufu Animashaun, told the court that Adigwe petitioned the FCIID over the missing sum in his apartment.