Supreme court gives judgment on Dr Orji Uzor Kalu’s corruption charges, as he asks Court to quash charges against him

The Supreme Court has fixed March 18 to deliver judgment in the appeal filed by former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, challenging the competence of the corruption charges of alleged N5.6 billion brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The former governor is challenging the propriety of his trial by the Federal High Court over the charges.
Specifically, Dr. Kalu has asked the apex court to set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which upheld the charges levelled against him by the EFCC.
He also urged the trial court to quash the charges as no prima facie case was established against him.
EFCC had, among other things, accused the former governor of stealing over N5.6 billion belonging to Abia State Government while in office between 1999 and 2007.
When the case came up yesterday, EFCC counsel, Olalekan Ojo, told the five-man panel of the apex court, led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed, that the matter had dragged on for so long.
“My Lords, this matter has dragged on since 2007 and does not seem to have made any head way,’’ he said.
However, the appellant through his counsel, Dr. Awa Kalu (SAN), urged the court to discountenance the allegation made by EFCC since he is rightly before the Supreme Court.
The senior advocate said the Court of Appeal erred in law when it held that the charges against his client were competent.
He insisted that the proof of evidence attached to the charges did not establish a prima facie case against the former governor and urged the court to allow the appeal and quash the charges.