“A former governor of Abia State, Orji
Kalu, has rejected the transfer of his trial on money laundering charges
from the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court to the Lagos Division
of the court.

The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission had on September 27 arraigned the ex-governor and his
co-accused persons before Justice Anwuri Chikere of the Federal High
Court in Abuja, on amended 34 counts of money laundering.

The charges, originally instituted in
2007 but stalled interlocutory appeals at the instance of the
defendants, involved the diversion of a cumulative sum of N3.2bn from
the Abia State Government’s treasury allegedly the defendants while
Kalu was the governor of the state.

Those charged alongside Kalu were Jones Udeogo, and the former governor’s company, Slok Nigeria Limited.

In an ex parte motion, Kalu sought the
leave of court to apply for an order of mandamus to compel the Chief
Judge of the Federal High Court to return the case which was transferred
to Lagos back to Abuja for continuation of hearing.

He also prayed that if the order was
granted it should operate as “a stay of all actions, matters or issues
ancillary to or relating to or pertaining to or connected with the case,
pending the hearing and determination of the suit.”

His prayers were predicated on the
provisions of Order 34(1)(a) and 3 of the Federal High Court Civil
Procedure Rules, 2009 and section 6(6)(a) of the 1999 Constitution.

The ex parte motion was filed along with the substantive suit which was numbered, FHC/ABJ/CS/845/2016.

The EFCC, the Attorney General of the
Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami, and the Chief Judge of the Federal High
Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, are the respondents to the suit.

The processes were filed Kalu’s lawyers led Chief Awa Kalu (SAN).

In a 16-paragraph supporting affidavit 
and an affidavit of urgency deposed to a lawyer, Mr. Ikechukwu Njoku,
it was stated that Kalu was aware the case had been transferred to the
Lagos Division of the Federal High Court following a request the
prosecution.

The affidavit added that the case
against the former governor and others started in 2007 after he left
office as the governor of Abia State, but that it suffered delay because
parties went on appeal up to the Supreme Court.

The affidavit added that due to the case
brought against him the EFCC, he temporarily relocated to Abuja to
face trial alongside others charged with him.

It added, “In 2016, the Supreme Court
ordered that the case be returned to the Abuja Division of the Federal
High Court for trial.

“Acting in strict compliance with the
judgment of the Supreme Court, the Chief Judge of the Federal High
Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta (3rd), assigned the case to Justice Anwuri
Chikere for trial.

“It is the case of the applicant that
all parties appeared before Justice Chikere on two occasions and the
matter was adjourned due to pending appeal before the Supreme Court.

“On the third occasion, the court
ordered that the defendant (Kalu) alongside others should take their
plea which they did and were admitted on bail.

“The court alongside the prosecution and
defence team agreed for three clear dates and the matter was adjourned
to October 6, 7, and 8, 2016 for definite trial, thereafter, all the
parties left the court to prepare for adjourned dates.”