Justice Mohammed Idris of a Federal High Court sitting at Ikoyi, Lagos State, Nigeria was on Tuesday informed by the Deputy Director, Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Chidi Chukwuka that the sum of N120,000,000; N17,625,000; N4,660,000 and N7,000,000, belonging to the Abia State government, were allegedly moved without being accounted for, to the account of Slok Nigeria Limited when Orji Uzor-Kalu held sway as Abia State governor.
While being led in evidence by counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), the NDIC Deputy Director insisted that funds were moved from the Joint account and major account of Abia State Government domiciled in United Bank for Africa, (UBA) to the account of Slok Nigeria Limited.
As contained in the document presented before Justice Idris, the listed sums were in the name of the Abia State Chief of Staff, Theodore Orji during the tenure of Uzor-Kalu as governor.
It was also the testimony of Chukwuka that the account was opened in 1999 by Orji Uzor Kalu while he was still the Governor of Abia State.
While declaring before the court that he handled the petition from Abia Leaders Forum in 2006, which culminated into the investigation of the case, Chukwuka revealed that the petition contained alleged misappropriation of government funds by the former governor, the properties the former governor was holding in Nigeria, how the governor allegedly tampered with Ecological funds, the $700,000 (valued in 2018 as $1,289,000) property obtained in Maryland, USA through public fund, and the former governor being an executive member of a company among other issues.
At this point, lawyer to the anti-graft agency pleaded for an adjournment to enable him certify some documents which would be tendered through the witness.
Jacob’s prayer for adjournment was however not opposed to by the defendants provided the prosecution will undertake that this will be the last one.
This promoted Justice Idris to adjourn the case until April 24, 2018 for the witness to furnish the court with more substantial document.
