FEDERAL HIGH COURT, ABUJA ADJOURNS THE ARRAIGNMENT OF SENATOR ORJI UZOR-KALU
Written by miebaka ikiriko on February 3, 2021
The Federal High Court, Abuja has adjourned the arraignment of Senator Orji Uzor-Kalu, charged for alleged seven-point-one Billion Naira fraud until June, seven.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC was to arraign Senator Kalu following a Supreme Court order that he and his co-defendants in the fraud charge be retried, having quashed the twelve year jail sentence handed to them by a Federal High Court in Lagos.
When the matter was called, Counsel to the EFCC, Mr Chile Okoronma told the court that there was a preliminary matter that needed to be resolved before the former Abia State Governor could be arraigned.
According to Okoronma, the prosecution has written a letter to the Chief Judge of the Court seeking a transfer of the matter to the Lagos division of the court, pointing out that looking at the charge sheet, no element of any of the offences took place in Abuja.
He held that proceeding with the matter in the Abuja division of the court would be an exercise in futility.
The trial Judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo refused to adjourn the matter indefinitely and insisted that counsel should take a specific date to return to court.
Justice Ekwo subsequently adjourned the matter until June, seven for a report on whether it should be transferred to Lagos or not.
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