The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday re-arraigned former Abia State Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, before Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on 34 counts of money laundering.
Also arraigned before the court are a former Director of Finance in Abia State, Udeh Udeogu, and Kalu’s company, Slok Nigeria Limited.
They are, among others, alleged to have aggregated several millions of naira amounting to N3.2 billion, property of Abia State government, knowing that the said amount formed parts of funds stolen from the Treasury of Abia State government.
Kalu, who served as governor between 1999 and 2007, was first arraigned in 2007 on a 96-count charge of money laundering.
He had asked the Federal High Court in Abuja last week to compel the EFCC to prosecute him in Abuja.
Counsels to the defendants, Mike Ozekhome and Solo Akuma, both Senior Advocates of Nigeria, urged the court on Monday to allow their clients to continue with the bail term earlier granted them.
Ozekhome told Justice Mohammed Idris that their clients had been arraigned before three different judges in Abuja Federal High Courts, before they were re-arraigned again.
The prosecution did not oppose the submission of lawyers to the accused persons.
Justice Idris therefore adjourned the matter till December 12 and 13 for trial, while ordering that the accused persons continue to enjoy their existing bails.
