The trial of a former Abia State Governor, Orji Uzor Kanu, on charges bordering on corruption at the Federal High Court stalled on Monday.
Justice Anuli Chickere said she could not go on with the case when an aspect of the matter was still pending at the Supreme Court.
Pending Appeal
One of the parties charged in the case, Slok Airlines, which also belongs to Mr Kalu, has an appeal pending at the apex court.
During proceedings, counsel to Slok Nigeria Limited, Mr Solomon Akuma, drew the attention of the court to the pending appeal by his client, Slok Nigeria Limited, before the Supreme Court which had not been heard.
He informed the court that briefs in the appeal had been filed and exchanged, but no hearing date has been fixed for the appeal.
Mr Akuma, therefore, asked for an adjournment to allow all parties to properly come before the court.
The lawyers for the defendants also told the court that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) just served the former Governor an amended charge to replace the 107-count charge brought against him in 2007.
They requested for time to study the charges and prepare adequately for the case.
The former Chief Executive of Abia State, is alleged to have, amongst other offences, while he was the Governor of Abia State in 2003, procured Slok Nigeria Limited to retain its account domiciled with a commercial bank in the sum of 200 million Naira and that the sum formed part of the funds illegally derived from the treasury of Abia State government through another commercial bank.
After hearing the arguments, Justice Chikere adjourned the case to June 30 to enable the third defendant conclude its appeal at the Supreme Court.
Mr Kalu’s trial is coming more than eight years after he was first arraigned for misappropriation of state’s funds.
The Supreme Court on March 18 gave the EFCC a ‘go-ahead’ to prosecute the former Governor.
The charge predicated on alleged complicity of the former Governor in money laundering and illegal diversion of public funds of about 5.6 billion Naira.
Mr Kalu was alleged to have perpetuated the fraud between 1999 and 2007 while he was the Governor of Abia State.
He had challenged the competence of the charge against him, as well as the jurisdiction of the High Court to hear and determine the case.
But the Supreme Court gave the EFCC a go-ahead to try him.