Chidi Samuel| A Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday found the former governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, and two others guilty of N7.65billion fraud.
The others found guilty are his firm, Slok Nigeria Limited and Udeh Udeogu, who was Director of Finance and Accounts at the Abia State Government House when Kalu ruled the state.
The Senator representing Abia North was subsequently sentenced to 12 years imprisonment by presiding judge, Mohammad Idris, for money laundering.
The assets of Kalu’s company, Slok Nigeria Limited, the court ruled, should be liquidated and its assets forfeited to the federal government.
The EFCC had in an amended 39 counts, accused Kalu and the two others of conspiring and diverting N7.65bn from the coffers of Abia state government.
Kalu was amongst other charges accused of illegally taking N460 million from Abia’s treasury.
One of the charges read, “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 offences are said to be in contravention of section 17(c) of the money laundering (prohibition) act, 2004.
In the course of the trial, the anti-graft agency argued that the defendants breached section 427 of the criminal code act, CAP 77, Laws of the federation 1990.
It called 19 witnesses to help establish its case.
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