OREDOLA ADEOLA with agency report
The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) on Friday closed its case against a former Governor of Abia, Orji Kalu and two others charged with N3.2 billion fraud.
The EFCC Prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), announced closure of the prosecution’s case at the Federal High Court, Lagos.
Recall that the former Governor of Abia, Orji Kalu, was standing trial on charges of N3.2 billion fraud.
The EFCC on October 31, 2016 arraigned Mr Kalu and his former Commissioner for Finance, Ude Udeogo (the second accused), on a 34-count charge bordering on N3.2 billion fraud.
Since the trial began before a High Court in Lagos, 16 witnesses have testified at different occasions before the High Court judge.
On Monday April 16,2018, the 16th witness, brought to testify before the Court by the prosecutor, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), said he works as the bank’s regulatory liaison officer and has a work schedule of responding to emails and request from regulators such as the EFCC, the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Securities and Exchange Commission among others.
He told the court that EFCC had written a letter to the bank, requesting account opening documents of the Abia State Government House, Umuahia.
According to the witness, the document including the statement of account and mandate, were retrieved from the system and after due certification and verification, sent to the EFCC.
The prosecution then showed the witness a bulk document and asked him to confirm if the certification were from him to which the witness replied in the affirmative.
Mr Jacobs at that sitting tendered in evidence the statement of account of the Abia State Government House, Umuahia, from 2002 to 2007.
The defence did not raise any objections and the court admitted the document and marked same as Exhibits U to U18.
The prosecution then asked the witness to identify Exhibit U14, and in response, the witness explained that it is the statement of account of the Abia State Government House, but in an old format.
He told the court that there had been a change from the old format which had the old account number, to a new format which he called Finaco, and which has the new 10-digit account number.
When showed Exhibit B23, the witness told the court that the exhibit was a fund transfer form by the second accused (Udeogo) in which he applied for a draft of N50 million with the debit to be made from the Government House account.
He said on May 31, 2002, there were two cash deposits by the second accused in the sums of N2 million and N7.3 million respectively.
The witness told the court that on June 3, a draft of N10 million was paid by the second accused, while on July 1, there was an issue of a demand draft of N11 million and another draft of N15 million on Aug. 19.
He said on September 16, 2002, there were two cash deposits of N50,000 and N5 million respectively by one M. A Udoh, who was an accountant in Abia at the time.
Under cross-examination, Awa Kalu, counsel to the first accused, asked the witness, “how many times have you testified in all your life?”
In response, the witness told the court that he had testified several times before law courts but could not recall how many times.
On whether it is the practice for two people to append their signatures on a document as shown in some of the exhibits, the witness replied, “two people may sign, but there are exceptions.
“When one of the signatories is not available, then someone else can sign; more so, where the issue is not so significant, then one person may sign.”
The defence counsel then asked that the witness should be showed exhibit B, and asked the witness: “when do you archive a transaction?”
The witness answered, ”There was no specific time to archive a transaction,” adding that once a transaction was concluded and thoroughly verified, ”it goes to the archive”.
The counsel also asked, ”do you know how many of your colleagues have testified in the instant case?” to which the witness replied: ”No”.
The judge, Mohammed Idris, adjourned continuation of trial until April 17.
Mr Kalu is alleged to have used his company to retain several sums of money in his account illegally derived from the coffers of the Abia State Government.
His company (Slok Nigeria Ltd) and one Emeka Abone, who is said to be at large, were also alleged to have retained in the company’s account the sum of N200 million on behalf of the first accused.
The accused were alleged to have retained about N2.5 billion in different accounts which funds were said to belong to the Abia State Government.
Cumulatively in all the counts, the accused were alleged to have diverted over N3.2 billion from the Abia State Government’s treasury during Mr Kalu’s tenure as governor.
The offences contravened the provisions of Sections 15(6), 16, and 21 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2005.
The offences also contravened the provisions of the Money Laundering Act of 1995 (as amended) by the amendment Act No.9 of 2002 and Section 477 of the Criminal Code, Laws of the Federation, 1990.
Despite all the evidence presented before the High Court Judge, the EFCC counsel on Friday, May 11 , closed its case against the former Governor of Abia and two others.
The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) on Friday closed its case against a former Governor of Abia, Orji Kalu and two others charged with N3.2 billion fraud.
The EFCC Prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), announced closure of the prosecution’s case at the Federal High Court, Lagos.
Recall that the former Governor of Abia, Orji Kalu, was standing trial on charges of N3.2 billion fraud.
The EFCC on October 31, 2016 arraigned Mr Kalu and his former Commissioner for Finance, Ude Udeogo (the second accused), on a 34-count charge bordering on N3.2 billion fraud.
Since the trial began before a High Court in Lagos, 16 witnesses have testified at different occasions before the High Court judge.
On Monday April 16,2018, the 16th witness, brought to testify before the Court by the prosecutor, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), said he works as the bank’s regulatory liaison officer and has a work schedule of responding to emails and request from regulators such as the EFCC, the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Securities and Exchange Commission among others.
He told the court that EFCC had written a letter to the bank, requesting account opening documents of the Abia State Government House, Umuahia.
According to the witness, the document including the statement of account and mandate, were retrieved from the system and after due certification and verification, sent to the EFCC.
The prosecution then showed the witness a bulk document and asked him to confirm if the certification were from him to which the witness replied in the affirmative.
Mr Jacobs at that sitting tendered in evidence the statement of account of the Abia State Government House, Umuahia, from 2002 to 2007.
The defence did not raise any objections and the court admitted the document and marked same as Exhibits U to U18.
The prosecution then asked the witness to identify Exhibit U14, and in response, the witness explained that it is the statement of account of the Abia State Government House, but in an old format.
He told the court that there had been a change from the old format which had the old account number, to a new format which he called Finaco, and which has the new 10-digit account number.
When showed Exhibit B23, the witness told the court that the exhibit was a fund transfer form by the second accused (Udeogo) in which he applied for a draft of N50 million with the debit to be made from the Government House account.
He said on May 31, 2002, there were two cash deposits by the second accused in the sums of N2 million and N7.3 million respectively.
The witness told the court that on June 3, a draft of N10 million was paid by the second accused, while on July 1, there was an issue of a demand draft of N11 million and another draft of N15 million on Aug. 19.
He said on September 16, 2002, there were two cash deposits of N50,000 and N5 million respectively by one M. A Udoh, who was an accountant in Abia at the time.
Under cross-examination, Awa Kalu, counsel to the first accused, asked the witness, “how many times have you testified in all your life?”
In response, the witness told the court that he had testified several times before law courts but could not recall how many times.
On whether it is the practice for two people to append their signatures on a document as shown in some of the exhibits, the witness replied, “two people may sign, but there are exceptions.
“When one of the signatories is not available, then someone else can sign; more so, where the issue is not so significant, then one person may sign.”
The defence counsel then asked that the witness should be showed exhibit B, and asked the witness: “when do you archive a transaction?”
The witness answered, ”There was no specific time to archive a transaction,” adding that once a transaction was concluded and thoroughly verified, ”it goes to the archive”.
The counsel also asked, ”do you know how many of your colleagues have testified in the instant case?” to which the witness replied: ”No”.
The judge, Mohammed Idris, adjourned continuation of trial until April 17.
Mr Kalu is alleged to have used his company to retain several sums of money in his account illegally derived from the coffers of the Abia State Government.
His company (Slok Nigeria Ltd) and one Emeka Abone, who is said to be at large, were also alleged to have retained in the company’s account the sum of N200 million on behalf of the first accused.
The accused were alleged to have retained about N2.5 billion in different accounts which funds were said to belong to the Abia State Government.
Cumulatively in all the counts, the accused were alleged to have diverted over N3.2 billion from the Abia State Government’s treasury during Mr Kalu’s tenure as governor.
The offences contravened the provisions of Sections 15(6), 16, and 21 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2005.
The offences also contravened the provisions of the Money Laundering Act of 1995 (as amended) by the amendment Act No.9 of 2002 and Section 477 of the Criminal Code, Laws of the Federation, 1990.
Despite all the evidence presented before the High Court Judge, the EFCC counsel on Friday, May 11 , closed its case against the former Governor of Abia and two others.
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