Supreme court nullifies Orji Kalu’s conviction, orders retrial

Supreme court nullifies Orji Kalu’ s conviction, orders retrial

The supreme court has actually nullified the conviction of Orji Kalu, former gov of Abia state.
Kalu was founded guilty and imprisoned 12 years for cash laundering by a federal high court in Lagos. His conviction was maintained by the appeal court.
But the pinnacle court nullified his conviction on Friday and ordered a retrial of the accused and his co-defendants.
In the judgment of a panel of seven justices led by Amina Augie, the court held that conviction of Kalu was void as the trial judge, Mohammed Liman, lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case.
It stated Liman, who heard the case, rose to the appeal court at the time of the matter and was no longer a judge of the federal high court, and as such did not have the authority to administer over the trial.
In December, 2019, the judge sentenced Kalu to 12 years in prison for money laundering to the tune of N7.1 billion.
The judge likewise purchased that Kalu’s business, Slok Nigeria Limited, be liquidated and its properties forfeited to the federal government.

Kalu stood trial on a 39-count charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The senator, Slok Nigeria Limited, and Udeh Udeogu, a former director of financing and accounts in Abia were accused of diverting N7.65 billion from the bag of the state government.
He was likewise accused of illegally taking N460 million from Abia’s treasury.

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