The Federal Government’s attempt to bring Orji Uzor Kalu, the former governor of Abia State, up for a new trial in the N7.6 billion fraud and money laundering case against him has been rejected by the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
Justice Joseph Oyewole delivered the judgment, ruling that no court could legitimately approve the government’s motion based on the federal government’s incompetent and untrustworthy appeal record.
According to Justice Oyewole, no one well-known to the law assembled, signed, or certified the appeal record.
He continued by saying that the record did not include the identity of the person who assembled, signed, and certified it as required by law.
On December 5, 2019, a Federal High Court sentenced the former governor, who is currently a senator representing Abia North, to twelve years in prison for embezzling large sums of money from the state of Abia during his tenure as governor.
However, the Supreme Court overturned and set aside the High Court’s judgment, citing Justice Mohammed Idris’s elevation to the rank of Justice of the Court of Appeal as justification.
Justice Mohammed Idris cannot serve as both a Federal High Judge and a Justice of the Court of Appeal at the same time, according to the ruling of the Supreme Court, which was delivered by Justice Ejembi Ekwo.
He then gave the Federal High Court Chief Judge an order to transfer the case to a different judge for a new trial.
But Kalu returned to the Federal High Court and got a ruling that forbade the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from launching new charges against the former governor.
According to Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo, who granted the restriction order against the EFCC, the Supreme Court’s ruling did not specifically mention Orji Uzor Kalu.
Due to the Federal Government’s inability to provide accurate records of the High Court’s proceedings, the appeal against the ruling of the court was rejected.
