N7.6BN FRAUD: I’ve no case to answer, ex-Gov Kalu tells court. 

Former governor of Abia State, Orji Uzo Kalu, has prayed the Federal High Court in Lagos to discharge and acquit him of the case of alleged fraud of N7.65 billion he was said to have committed while in power between 1999 and 2007.

He said that he had no case to answer and urged the trial judge, Justice Mohammed Idris, to sack the entire 39 counts filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Kalu made the plea through his lawyer, Professor Awa Kalu (SAN), when the matter came up in the court on Wednesday, adding that the judge should discharge and let him go because the EFCC failed to establish a prima facie case against him.

Kalu’s prayer is coming even as the prosecution has tendered several exhibits and called a total of 19 witnesses to testify in the matter.

Kalu is being tried along the Director of Finance and Accounts of the Abia State Government House during his administration, Ude Udenga, and his company, Slok Nigeria Limited.

Counsel to Udenga and Slok Nigeria, Messrs Solo Akuma (SAN), and K.C. Nwofor (SAN) respectively had also on Wednesday made similar prayers as Kalu.

Akuma had argued that the prosecution failed to present any bank teller endorsed by Udeogu to prove that he aided the former governor to lodge funds in the accounts of Slok Nigeria 

Nwofor had also contended that the statements of accounts tendered as exhibits by the prosecution were bound to be dismissed, having not been signed by the bank contrary to the provisions of the Evidence Act.

The prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), kicked against the defendants’ prayers and asked the court to dismiss their no-case submissions, maintaining that the prosecution had proven its allegations against them.

The judge after listening to them adjourned the matter till August 31, 2018 for ruling.