Orji Uzor Kalu, who was prosecuted by Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) on a 27 counts by the EFCC has been found guilty and jailed for 12 years imprisonment for N7.65bn fraud, among other multiple sentences ranging from 3 years to 5 years.
Kalu’s co-defendants are his firm, Slok Nigeria Limited and Udeh Udeogu, who was Director of Finance and Accounts at the Abia State Government House during Kalu’s tenure as governor.
In an amended 39-counts-charge by EFCC, they were accused by the commission of conspiring and diverting over N7 billion from the coffers of the state.
One of the counts by the EFCC alleged that Kalu: “that you Kalu did procure Slok Nigeria Limited – a company solely owned by you and members of your family – to retain in its account, domiciled with the then Inland Bank Plc, Apapa branch, Lagos, an aggregate sum of N7,197,871,208.7 on your behalf.”
The former Abia State Governor who is the current Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate, after been sentenced to 12 years in prison for fraud, was seen asking prison warders, “where are you taking us to?” After his sentencing.
He was also reportedly begged the prison warders not to handcuff him in public.
The former governor, who appeared shaken, said, “Where are you taking us to now? Please don’t handcuff me. I will follow you.”
Kalu’s associate, Udeogu, was sentenced to 10 years in prison while the company which was used in perpetrating the fraud, Slok Limited, was ordered to be wound up by Justice Idris Mohammed.
The court ordered forfeiture of all assets of his company to the federal government.
During the trials, the prosecution claimed that the N7.1 billion “formed part of the funds illegally derived from the treasury of the Abia State Government and which was converted into several bank drafts before they were paid into the said company’s account.”
The prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, said the ex-governor violated Section 17(c) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004, and was liable to be punished under Section 16 of the same Act.
Apart from the N7.1bn, which he was accused of laundering, the ex-governor and the other defendants were also accused of receiving a total of N460 million allegedly stolen from the Abia State Government treasury between July and December 2002.
The prosecutor said they breached Section 427 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap 77, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990.
The defendants had pleaded not guilty to all counts.
During the trial, the prosecution called 19 witnesses while the defendants testified by themselves.
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