FRI, MAY 08 2020-theG&BJournal- The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) has described the Abuja Supreme Court judgement which overturned the conviction of former Abia State governor today for an alleged N7.65 billion fraud, as ‘’quite unfortunate and a technical ambush.’’
‘’The Commission is prepared for a fresh and immediate trail of the case because its evidences against Kalu and others are overwhelming,’’ the EFCC said.
According to the Commission, the corruption charges against Kalu still subsist because the Supreme Court did not acquit him of them.
‘’The entire prosecutorial machinery of EFCC would be launced in a fresh trial where justice is bound to be served in due course.’’
The EFCC noted that the apex court based its verdict on the grounds that Justice Mohammed Idris, who convicted Kalu and others had been elevated to the Court of Appeal before the judgement and returned to the lower court to deliver the judgement which it considered as illegal.
The Supreme Court sitting in Abuja unanimously overturned Kalu’s conviction which sentenced him to 12 years imprisonment in December 2019 on 39 count charge brought by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) alleging that he defrauded the government of Abia State when he was governor to the tune of N7.65 billion-during his 8-year tenure-using his company, Slok Nigeria Limited. He was convicted alongside former Abia State director of Finance, Ude Udeogu.
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