TheNewsGuru

Tag: Money laundering

  • N3.2bn money laundering: Court to rule on Kalu’s case June 6

    A Federal High Court on Monday in Lagos fixed June 6 foe ruling on the objection by a former Governor of Abia, Orji Uzor Kalu, to the evidence of a prosecution witness in his trial.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had on Oct. 31, 2016, slammed a 34-count charge of N3.2 billion fraud on Kalu and his ex-Commissioner for Finance, Ude Udeogo.

    Also charged with Kalu is his company — Slok Nigeria Ltd.

    The accused had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    During an examination-in-chief on Monday, a prosecution witness, Mr Romanus Madu, led in evidence by EFCC prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), said he did not author a statement requesting for the sum of N30.8 million bank draft in the course of his duties as a cashier in the Abia State Government House in 2005.

    He identified his name on a document exhibited by the prosecution, but said that he was not the author, noting that his signature was not on the document.

    The prosecutor also showed him two other applications for the bank drafts written by one Obasi John and Ogbonna J, which he also denied knowledge of the two individuals at the Government House.

    He said he did know anything about bank drafts, but that he usually collects cash and hands it over to his “superior”, adding that he was not familiar with the names Obasi and Ogbonna.

    When the prosecutor further sought to extract the witness’ evidence on the three applications, it was opposed by the defence lawyers.

    In his objection, Kalu’s lawyer, Chief Awa Kalu (SAN) said the prosecutor’s action was against the spirit of the Evidence Act.

    He argued that the witness cannot be asked to compare signatures of persons he claimed he did not know.

    In the same vein, counsel to the third accused (Slok), Mr K. C. Nwofo (SAN), also argued that it was only an expert that could be asked questions on such a contentious issue.

    In his response, however, the prosecutor insisted that the witness was “highly qualified” to give evidence on the statement which he argued was written and signed by him.

    According to him, evidence with regards to handwriting is not an exclusive preserve of an expert.

    “The law permits the court to take evidence from the person whose handwriting was said to have been forged or the person who is familiar with the handwriting.”

    After listening to the arguments of both parties, Justice Mohammed Idris adjourned until June 6 for ruling.

    In the charge, the accused were alleged to have committed the offence between August 2001 and October 2005.

    Kalu was alleged to have utilised his company (Slok) to retain in the account of a First Inland bank, (now FCMB), the sum of N200 million.

    The sum is alleged to have formed part of funds illegally derived from the coffers of the Abia State Government.

    Slok and one Emeka Abone, who is still at large, are also accused of retaining in the company’s account the sum of N200 million on behalf of the first accused (Kalu).

    The accused, according to the prosecution, also retained about N2.5 billion in different accounts property of Abia.

    Cumulatively, in all the counts, the accused were alleged to have diverted about N3.2 billion from the Abia State Government’s treasury during Kalu’s tenure as governor.

    The offences contravened Sections 15(6), 16, and 21 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2005 and the Money Laundering Act of 1995 as amended by the amendment Act No.9 of 2002 and Section 477 of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation, 1990. (NAN)

  • EFCC re-arraigns Ex-Niger gov, Babangida Aliyu, gets N200m bail

    EFCC re-arraigns Ex-Niger gov, Babangida Aliyu, gets N200m bail

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday arraigned former governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu, in a Federal High Court, Abuja, on eight counts of money laundering.

    Aliyu was arraigned alongside his former Chief of Staff, Umar Nasko, while both were admitted to bail in the sum of N200m each, with two sureties each in like sum.

    The judge, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, ordered that the two sureties could be business men or public servants; and where in the public service, must not be below a director.

    The sureties must also own landed property in Abuja excluding the satellite towns.

    Aliyu and Nasko are to also deposit their international passports with the court and must not travel without the permission of the court.

    The judge, however, ruled that where the defendants could not perfect their bail conditions within 48 hours, they would be remanded in Kuje Prison until bail was perfected.

    He adjourned the matter until July 6 and 7 to hear the preliminary objection and for trial.

    The two defendants were accused of conspiring to launder ecological funds amounting to over N1bn, released by the Federal Government to Niger government in 2014.

    The offence according to the EFCC, contravened Section 18 of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 and is punishable under Section 15 of the same Act.

    Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the offence.

    Mr Mamman Osuman (SAN), counsel to Aliyu filed a preliminary objection, challenging the hearing of the suit in Abuja, on the ground that there is a Federal High Court in Minna.

    Osuman maintained that the defendants were already on trial on a six-count charge of breach of trust in Minna, and since the “ingredients” of both cases were the same, it was in the interest of justice to conduct both cases in Minna.

    Counsel to the EFCC, Mr Ben Ikani, however, said that the case in Minna was different from the one in Abuja.

     

    (NAN)

  • Ibori out of prison, spends Christmas in the UK, returns to Nigeria January

    Nigeria’s former governor James Onanefe Ibori who was released from prison in the United Kingdom (UK) about noon today after serving a 13 years prison sentence for corruption and money laundering is set to return to Nigeria in January.

    Justice Juliet May gave the edict that the matter for the deportation of the Delta state former governor from the UK must be heard before the end of January while ordering Ibori’s immediate release from prison.

    However, the UK’s Home Office earlier rejected the release of James Ibori from prison, with representatives of Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, arguing that Ibori might “frustrate confiscation proceedings” and therefore Ibori should be kept in jail or subject to strict controls on his movement.

    Rudd is claiming Ibori hands over £18m (about 7 billion naira) of “proceeds of crime” to the UK government, but the High Court Judge has said the attempts to further detain Ibori were “quite extraordinary”.

    Ibori’s barrister, Ivan Krolic, explained that Ibori’s confiscation proceedings collapsed in 2013, after the prosecution was unable to establish any theft from Nigeria’s Delta state treasury, and any benefit for Ibori.

    “A three-week hearing which heard live evidence was abandoned by the prosecutors – Wass QC and Shutzer-Weissman.

    “Both prosecutors have since been dismissed from the case for gross misconduct,” Krolic said.

    Krolic further explained that British police officers in the case led by DC McDonald, have again been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission and now face a tough investigation into their corrupt activities in the case.

    “The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has confirmed officers in the case were corrupt.

    “It has since disclosed substantial material evidencing the graft,” Krolic said.

    Meanwhile, the CPS had admitted in September that the review team ordered to review evidence following allegations that police took bribes and prosecutors covered it up, at the prompt of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Alison Saunders, found material to support the assertion that a police officer received payment in return for information.

    “You don’t hold someone just because it is convenient to do so and without plans to deport them,” Justice May declared.

    Ordering Ibori’s release, Justice May said: “The Secretary of State appears to have taken it upon herself that Ibori does remain in this country, in apparent contradiction of the order served earlier this year to deport him”.

    “The position of the Secretary of State, as very candidly set out by Mr Birdling (representing the Home Secretary), is that she accepts that there is an argument that she has no power to detain him.

    “I have decided that the balance of convenience falls heavily in favour of his immediate release.

    “I am not prepared to impose conditions involving tagging or curfews,” Justice May said, adding that “The matter of Ibori’s deportation should be heard before the end of January”.

    TheNewsGuru reporter in the UK has confirmed that Ibori has since been released from prison following the order, but he will remain and spend Christmas in the UK until the confiscation matter for his deportation from the UK is resolved.

    Ibori was released from Her Majesty’s Huntercombe Prison near Nuffield in Oxfordshire, England, where he spent his prison term, with his sister, Christine Ibori Ibie and a team of his lawyer on ground to pick him to the sister’s apartment in Wembley, an area of northwest London.

    “He is out of here”, a prison source confirmed.

    Here are exclusive photos of Ibori after his release.

  • BREAKING: Ibori steps out of prison

    James Onanefe Ibori, former governor of Delta State, has stepped out of prison in the United Kingdom (UK) where he served a 13 years jail term for corruption and money laundering.

    Ibori’s release followed a dramatic turn of events at a British High Court in London in which Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, was accused of acting unlawfully and misusing her powers, and in which some UK police officers were confirmed corrupt.

    A reporter of TheNewsGuru monitoring the turn of events of the enthralling Ibori case from the UK has exclusively informed that Ibori’s sister, Christine Ibori Ibie, has lead a pack of associates of the former governor to pick him at the prison, which is a few hours away from London, with Ibori expected to be in the city in a couple of hours or so.

    Also read: Efforts to keep Ibori in further detention by British govt fails

    Already, there is excitement and celebrations across Nigeria, especially at Ibori’s Oghara hometown, and in the UK, among his associates who have been on ground the UK to accord him grandstanding reception.

    Justice Juliet May of the British High Court ordered Ibori’s release few minutes past noon after rejecting Rudd’s request for conditions to be imposed on Ibori’s release. The visibly irritated Judge could not understand the Home Secretary’s position and at times was critical of the move to detain Ibori any further.

    Rudd was refusing Ibori’s release on the ground that Ibori hands over £18m of “proceeds of crime,” but the High Court Judge said the attempts to detain him were “quite extraordinary”.

    Justice May said: “You don’t hold someone just because it is convenient to do so and without plans to deport them”.

    Justice May also rejected an application from UK’s Home Office that Ibori be electronically tagged and subject to strict curfew conditions, accepting arguments that the Home Secretary was attempting to misuse her immigration and deportation powers.

    The Home Office’s said the government was concerned that Ibori might “frustrate confiscation proceedings” and wanted him kept in jail or subject to strict controls on his movement.

    Ibori’s barrister, Ivan Krolic, explained that Ibori’s confiscation proceedings collapsed in 2013, after the prosecution was unable to establish any theft from the Delta State treasury and any benefit for Ibori.

    “A three-week hearing which heard live evidence was abandoned by the prosecutors – Wass QC and Shutzer-Weissman. Both prosecutors have since been dismissed from the case for gross misconduct,” Krolic said.

    Krolic further explained that British police officers in the case led by DC McDonald, have again been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission and now face a tough investigation into their corrupt activities in this case.

    “The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has confirmed officers in the case were corrupt. It has since disclosed substantial material evidencing the graft,” Krolic said.

    The conviction of James Ibori followed a government anti-corruption campaign led by the Department for International Development (DfID) 10 years ago.

    But earlier this year the Director of Public Prosecutions, Alison Saunders, demanded a review of the evidence following allegations that police took bribes and prosecutors covered it up.

    “The review team found material to support the assertion that a police officer received payment in return for information,” the CPS admitted in September.

    It emerged in court today that the CPS, which is pursuing the confiscation proceedings, was “neutral” about Ibori’s release and deportation.

    Ian MacDonald QC, representing Ibori, said: “The Secretary of State has taken it upon herself. There is no objection from (the CPS) for release”.

    “This is extraordinary,” Justice May said. “They (the CPS) don’t care.”

    “Why doesn’t the Secretary of State just send him back?” she asked. “He wants to go. She wants him to go”.

    Ordering Ibori’s release, Justice May said: “The Secretary of State appears to have taken it upon herself that Ibori does remain in this country, in apparent contradiction of the order served earlier this year to deport him”.

    “The position of the Secretary of State, as very candidly set out by Mr Birdling (representing the Home Secretary), is that she accepts that there is an argument that she has no power to detain him.

    “I have decided that the balance of convenience falls heavily in favour of his immediate release.

    “I am not prepared to impose conditions involving tagging or curfews,” Justice May declared.

    While Ibori has been released to be in the UK, the Judge, however, ordered that the matter of his deportation from the UK should be heard before the end of January.

     

    For synopsis on Ibori’s release, follow the links below:

    BREAKING: Bid to keep Ibori in further detention by British govt fails
    BREAKING: London court orders Ibori’s immediate release
    Nigerians invade London for Ibori

  • BREAKING: Efforts to keep Ibori in further detention by British govt fail

    ImageFile: Bid to keep Ibori in further detention by British govt fails1
    James Onanefe Ibori.

    Efforts by the British government to get a court order to continue to detain former Delta state government, James Ibori, who has served out a concurrent 13 years jail term, failed, propelling the presiding Judge to lambast the British Home Secretary, saying she is being unlawful and misusing her powers.

    According to TheNewsGuru reporter in the United Kingdom (UK) monitoring the trend of events, there was mild drama in the British High Court today as senior lawyers for the UK’s Home Office failed in their last-minute bid to prevent Ibori’s release.

    TheNewsGuru can reveal that the apparent decision to block Ibori’s release and detain him appears to have come from the highest echelons of the UK Government – the Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, who was accused in today’s hearing of acting unlawfully and misusing her powers.

    Relying on a subsisting confiscation case against Chief Ibori whose term in jail ended yesterday, the British government had wanted an order to either further detain him or compel him to remain in the United Kingdom until the confiscation hearing is completed.

    Sian Davies, the Crown Prosecution lawyer did not object to Ibori’s return to Nigeria, yet at the last minute the Home Office stepped in. There is clear discord between the two arms of the British Government.

    Ibori’s team was led by Ian McDonald QC, the leading QC on immigration.

    The visibly irritated Judge could not understand the Home Secretary’s position and at times was critical of the move to detain Ibori any further.

    Justice Juliet May rejected the Home Secretary’s requests for conditions to be imposed and ordered Ibori’s immediate release.

    Ivan Krolic, who also attended, explained that Ibori’s confiscation proceedings collapsed in 2013, after the prosecution was unable to establish any theft from the Delta State treasury and any benefit for Ibori. A three-week hearing which heard live evidence was abandoned by the prosecutors – Wass QC and Shutzer-Weissman. Both prosecutors have since been dismissed from the case for gross misconduct.

    Krollic further explained that British police officers in the case led by DC McDonald, have again been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission and now face a tough investigation into their corrupt activities in this case. The CPS has confirmed officers in the case were corrupt. It has since disclosed substantial material evidencing the graft.

    Ibori and others have long maintained that this prosecution was politically motivated. It was funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), whose senior employee was also the jury foreperson in one of the earlier trials.

    The Ibori case has been plagued with British police corruption, exceptional prosecutorial misconduct and fundamental non-disclosure. A multitude of appeals have now been launched or are in the process of being launched.

  • BREAKING: London court orders Ibori’s immediate release

    A London court has ordered the immediate release of James Onanefe Ibori from prison before nightfall today.

    Ibori was convicted and jailed for corruption and money laundering by a Southwark Crown court on 17th April 2012 in the United Kingdom (UK), but there has been mild drama today in the British High Court as senior lawyers for the UK’s Home Office failed in their last-minute bid to prevent Ibori’s release.

    According to TheNewsGuru reporter monitoring the Ibori trend of events from the United Kingdom (UK), there was mild drama in the British High Court today as senior lawyers for the UK’s Home Office failed in their last-minute bid to prevent Ibori’s release.

    TheNewsGuru can report that the apparent decision to block Ibori’s release and detain him appears to have come from the highest echelons of the UK Government – the Home Secretary who was accused in today’s hearing of acting unlawfully and misusing her powers.

    Sian Davies, the Crown Prosecution lawyer did not object to Ibori’s return to Nigeria, yet at the last minute the Home Office stepped in. There is clear discord between the two arms of the British Government.

    Ibori’s team was led by Ian McDonald QC, the leading QC on immigration.

    The visibly irritated Judge could not understand the Home Secretary’s position and at times was critical of the move to detain Ibori any further.

    Justice Juliet May rejected the Home Secretary’s requests for conditions to be imposed and ordered Ibori’s immediate release.

    British Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, is being unlawful and indications reveal she is misusing her powers.

    Ivan Krolic, who also attended explained that Ibori’s confiscation proceedings collapsed in 2013, after the Prosecution was unable to establish any theft from the Delta State and any benefit for Ibori. A three-week hearing which heard live evidence was abandoned by the prosecutors – Wass QC and Shutzer-Weissman. Both prosecutors have since been dismissed from the case for gross misconduct.

    Krollic further explained that British police officers in the case led by DC McDonald, have again been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission and now face a though investigation into their corrupt activities in this case. The CPS has confirmed officers in the case were corrupt. It has since disclosed substantial material evidencing the graft.

    Ibori and others have long maintained that this prosecution was politically motivated. It was funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), whose senior employee was also the jury foreperson in one of the earlier trials.

    The Ibori case has been plagued with British police corruption, exceptional prosecutorial misconduct and fundamental non-disclosure. A multitude of appeals have now been launched or are in the process of being launched.

    As at the time of filing this report, the UK government has obeyed the court order with Christine Ibori Ibie leading a pack of Ibori associates to prison to pick up freed James Ibori.

  • Despite expected release tomorrow, Ibori not coming home

    Former Delta state Governor, James Onanefe Ibori, who has completed his jail term in London and is due to be released tomorrow has dispelled rumours that he is returning to Nigeria immediately.

    Chief Ibori, in a statement signed by his Media Assistant, Tony Eluemunor, called on his well-wishers to disregard the rumours.

    A section of the media had speculated that the former governor, whose conviction and jail for corruption and money laundering in the United Kingdom has taken different turns in recent times, would return to Nigeria on December 23.

    “When the time comes, any important information will be made available to the public and nothing would be left for conjecture,” Ibori said.

    ‘Ribadu’s excesses, not me, removed him from office’

    Chief Ibori also in the statement berated an online news platform for dragging his name into the Senate refusal to confirm Ibrahim Magu as chair of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

    According to Chief Ibori, “What makes it galling is that the matter under contention was the Department of State Security’s report that stopped the Senate from confirming Mr. Ibrahim Magu as the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and did not warrant the dragging in of my name at all”.

    Chief Ibori particularly took exception to a report in Premium Times which said “based on pressure from political gladiators of the period (among which were former Governors James Ibori and Bukola Saraki), then President Musa Yar’Adua unceremoniously removed Nuhu Ribadu as chairman of the EFCC”.

    Ibori explained his position that Governor Nasir el-Rufai has exposed this claim as a terrible lie in his book, The Accidental Public Servant, adding that el-Rufai stated the source of the trouble the former EFCC chair, Ribadu had with President Musa Yar’Adua.

    “On page 358, in a section entitled ‘Umaru Asks Nuhu for Support: the Beginning of Our Trouble’ he (el-Rufai) wrote that Ribadu was so maddened that former President Olusegun Obasanjo had favoured Yar’Adua above Nasir el-Rufai to succeed him as President in 2007 that he told Yar’Adua to his face: “Well, Obasanjo has not told me, and as far as the presidency is concerned, I have my candidate for president, and that is El-Rufai”.

    “El-Rufai continued on page 359: ‘It took sometime before Nuhu figured out Obasanjo’s games and what was really happening. Nuhu’s instinctive reaction was that of a typical policeman – dust off EFCC’s files and comb for petitions against Umaru. Nuhu did not realize it at that time, but he was the one in trouble not Obasanjo or Umaru. He dusted off all the files against Umaru and launched investigations. He was clearly trying to take Yar’Adua out of the race and narrow all options to zero except for El-Rufai,” Ibori said.

    Ibori continued: “It is clear that from El-Rufai’s that there was no way a clear-headed Yar-Adua would have appointed a power-drunken Ribadu, who had unjustly arrested some Katsina state’s LGA chairmen just to demonize Yar’Adua to remain as EFCC Chairman, to continue to arrest people unjustly, play politics with his office and hypocritically claim to be fighting corruption when he was neck deep in the worst corruption, maligning others just because of politics.

    “Ribadu’s excesses, not me, removed him from office,” Ibori said.

  • Nigerians invade London for Ibori

    A steady stream of Nigerians made up of especially Deltans have in the past week flooded London in anticipation of James Onanefe Ibori, who is scheduled to be released this week, after completing his 13 years jail sentence for corruption and money laundering.

    This is especially so as Ibori has indicated that he will not be coming home immediately he is released.

    In a statement by his media chief, Tony Eluemunor, Ibori said “When the time comes any important information will be made available to the public and nothing would be left for conjecture”.

    Leading the pack of Deltans, and both federal and state political associates of Ibori is the Deputy Governor of Delta State, Kingsley Otuaro, some commissioners and top Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains in the state.

    Apart from the official delegation, most of Ibori’s political associates have all relocated to London to welcome their leader.

    A Southwark Crown court had on 17 April 2012, sentenced Ibori to 13 years in prison after the ex-governor pleaded guilty to 10 counts of money laundering and stealing $250m from the treasury.

    Despite his travails, Ibori has managed to maintain a core of die-hard loyalists in Delta state and indeed across the country. He is extremely still very popular in Delta as his absence did not stop his political family from dominating and retaining power in Delta state.

    It is common knowledge that he singlehandedly installed the current governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, from his prison cell.

    Already, permutations are pointing at a massive reception for the former Delta state governor.

  • Money laundering: EFCC re-arraigns former Gov. Ladoja, aide

    Money laundering: EFCC re-arraigns former Gov. Ladoja, aide

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Wednesday re-arraigned a former governor of Oyo State, Rashidi Ladoja before a Federal High Court, Lagos, over N4.7 billion money laundering.

    Ladoja is charged alongside his former aide, Waheed Akanbi, on eight counts bordering on the alleged offence.

    The duo pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    After their pleas, the Prosecutor, Mr Oluwafemi Olabisi, asked the court to fix a date for commencement of trial.

    In response, defence counsel, Mr Bolaji Onilenla and Mr Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, informed the court of their clients’ bail applications.

    Onilenla, representing Ladoja, urged the court to allow his client to continue on the bail conditions earlier granted him in 2008 by Justice A.R. Mohammed.

    He submitted that the first accused had kept good faith with the terms and conditions of the bail and that there was no single incidence of default.

    He assured the court that his client will “behave himself’’ and make himself available for trial.

    According to Onilenla, in case the court is not inclined to allowing Ladoja to continue with the previous bail, then the court should grant bail on liberal terms.

    Counsel to the other accused, Olumide-Fusika, also aligned himself with the submissions of Onilenla.

    The prosecutor objected to the bail application and urged the court to refuse the same on the grounds that the accused had frustrated trial for years through their appeals challenging the competence of the charges.

    Ruling, Justice Mohammed Idris, held that the court could not deny the accused bail on account of exercise of their constitutional rights of appeal, resulting in the delay of the case.

    The court added that there was no evidence that the accused breached the terms of the bail granted them eight years ago.

    The court therefore, allowed the accused to continue with the bail as granted by Justice A.R. Mohammed eight years ago.

    Idris held: “It is not out of place for this court to revalidate the order of A.R. Mohammed J’’.

    He adjourned the case to Feb. 14, 15 and 16, 2017 for commencement of trial.

    Recall that Ladoja was granted bail on Sept. 5, 2008, in the sum of N100 million with two sureties in like sum.

    In the charge marked FHC/L/336C/08, the EFCC alleged that the duo conspired to convert properties and resources derived from an illegal act, with the intention of concealing their illicit origin.

    The anti-graft agency also alleged that Ladoja used N42 million out of the proceeds to purchase an Armoured Land Cruiser Jeep, and remitted about £600,000 to one Bimpe Ladoja in London.

    The offences are said to have contravened the provisions of sections 14 (a) and 17 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004

  • Money laundering: Court fixes March 6 for Orji Kalu’s trial

    Money laundering: Court fixes March 6 for Orji Kalu’s trial

    A Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday fixed March 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 for trial of former Abia governor Orji Uzor Kalu charged with money laundering.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had on October 31, preferred a 34-count money laundering against Kalu and his former commissioner for finance, Ude Udeogo.

    However, both accused had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    At the resumed hearing of the case on Tuesday, the Presiding Judge, Justice Mohammed Idris, stood down the suit till 1 p.m for trial to allow a decongestion of the court room.

    Meanwhile, when the case was called the prosecution was unavailable, and after waiting for a length of time, the court was compelled to adjourn the case to a further date.

    After adjournment, the Prosecutor, Mr. Adeniyi Adebisi, walked in and craved the court’s indulgence for his delay as he was attending to other matters.

    After series of submissions, the court ruled that further trial is fixed for March 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.

    In the instant charge, the accused were alleged to have committed the offence between August 2001 and October 2005.

    Kalu was alleged to have utilised his company to retain in the account of a First Inland Bank, now FCMB, the sum of N200m.

    The sum is alleged to have formed part of funds illegally derived from the coffers of the Abia State Government.

    In one of the counts, his company (Slok Nig 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.

    They were alleged to have utilised Manny Bank, now Fidelity Bank Plc, Spring Bank Plc, the defunct Standard Trust Bank and Fin Land Bank, now First City Monument Bank.

    In counts one to 10, the accused were alleged to have retained about N2.5bn 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 N3.2bn from the Abia state government’s treasury during Kalu’s tenure as governor.

    The offence is said to have contravened the provisions of sections 15(6), 16, and 21 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2005.

    It is also said to have 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 Act, Laws of the Federation, 1990.

     

    NAN