Politics
Court temporarily halts Orji Kalu’s re-trial
A Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over by Justice Inyang Ekwo on Monday temporarily stopped the re-trial of a former Governor of Abia State, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu over alleged corrupt practices.
Delivering ruling in an application brought by Kalu seeking leave to file a motion against his re-trial, Justice Ekwo ordered that the re-trial be stayed temporarily, while also granting the former Governor leave to challenge the legality of his re-trial for the same charges.
Kalu is facing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged fraud committed when he served as governor of Abia between 1999 and 2007.
The ex parte application was filed by Kalu’s counsel, Prof. Awa Kalu, SAN.
The judge, while delivering judgment, also said the former Abia governor had placed sufficient materials of value before the court to enable him secure permission for judicial review of his retrial on charges which he had been tried, convicted and spent some months in prison.
READ ALSO:Former Gov Orji Kalu back in court for retrial over alleged N7.1bn fraud
The Judge also granted Kalu permission to apply for an order of perpetual injunction against the Federal Government through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) to prohibit his retrial.
The court however gave him seven days within which to file and serve the EFCC all processes he intended to use to challenge the legality of the retrial. The matter was adjourned until Feb. 23 for mention.
It would be recalled that Kalu had approached the court asking it to prohibit the EFCC from retrying him on the same alleged N7.1 billion money laundering charge against him.
According to him, having been tried once by EFCC, convicted and sentenced in the same charge, FHC/ABJ/CR/56/ 2007, it will amount to double jeopardy for him to be subjected to a fresh trial on the same charge.
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