Alleged N7.6bn Fraud: Court Dismisses ‘No Case Submission’ By Orji Kalu

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Tuesday dismissed a no-case submission filed by a former Governor of Abia State, Orji Kalu, in response to the 7.6 billion naira fraud charges against him by the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Kalu, and his co-defendants, Slok Nigeria Limited and the state’s former Commissioner for Finance, Udeh Udeogu, had contended in a ‘no case submission’ made by them that the amended charge filed against them by the EFCC did not disclose any case or offence against them to warrant their putting in a defence.

Justice Mohammed Idris, in his ruling, said that Kalu and other defendants had some explanations to make particularly on certain documents tendered by the EFCC as exhibits in evidence against him.

He also called on the defendants to open their defence, reminding the parties that he had until the end of September to finish the case.

Kalu’s lawyer, Mr Gordy Uche (SAN), however, pleaded with the judge for a six-week adjournment to enable Kalu go for a surgical operation.

But the prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), pleaded that the case be heard in the first week of September, bearing in mind that the judge had to conclude the case by the end of September.

In a short ruling, justice Idris said he was constrained to grant Uche’s request, and adjourned the case till September 10 for the defendants to open their defence.