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How Orji Kalu Diverted Abia State’s N2.9Billion Into His Company Account – EFCC

orji kalu diverted N2.9billion from Abia state to company account

Nov 29, 2017 – How Orji Kalu Diverted Abia State’s N2.9Billion To His Company Account – EFCC

The EFCC said yesterday that a former Director of Finance and Account at the Abia State Government House, Umuahia, Jones Udeogu, once claimed that the state engaged the company of a former governor of the state, Orji Kalu, to import Okrika (second-hand clothes) from Cotonou, Benin Republic.

According to an investigator with the EFCC, John Egem, Udeogu made the claim when he was confronted with documents showing movement of funds from the coffers of the Abia State Government House into the Inland Bank account of Kalu’s private company, Slok Nigeria Limited.

Egem said when Udeogu was, however, asked to produce documents showing any contractual agreement between the government house and Slok Nigeria Limited, he was unable to do so.

Egem appeared on Tuesday as a prosecution witness before the Federal High Court in Lagos where Kalu, Udeogu and Slok Nigeria Limited are being tried for an alleged fraud of N2.9bn.

The EFCC, in the charges, claimed that Kalu and Udeogu conspired to use Slok to divert public funds when the ex-governor held sway in Abia State.

But the defendants, who are being tried before Justice Mohammed Idris, pleaded not guilty.

At the resumed trial on Tuesday, Egem, who was led in evidence by the EFCC prosecuting counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), narrated to the court how cheques were allegedly issued in the names of certain identified and fictitious officials of the Abia State Government House to move money out of the government’s coffers.

The investigator said, “In the course of our investigation, we discovered the following: That cheques were raised from the Abia State Government House accounts in the names of serving officials in the government house.

“They were opened as across-the-counter cheques; the officials would proceed to the bank to cash the cheques. In some cases, the cash payments would be used to purchase bank drafts in the name of Inland Bank, Apapa (Lagos) branch, and the payment ends up in Slok Nigeria Limited’s account in the same Inland Bank, Apapa branch.”

The witness gave the names of the government house officials in whose names the cheques were allegedly raised as Udeogu, Romanus Madu, Michael Akpan and some other fictitious names.

Egem said the EFCC obtained a search warrant and raided the premises of Slok Nigeria Limited, during which the anti-graft agency recovered some vital documents, including an audit report, which disclosed the directors of the company.

According to him, the document dated October 20, 2014 revealed that Slok Nigeria Limited was registered on May 6, 1987 and had its registration number as RC94896.

He said the document listed Orji Uzor Kalu, Ogbonnaya Kalu, Ifeoma Kalu, Nnana Uzor and others as the directors of the company.

He said further search was conducted at the Corporate Affairs Commission.

Egem said the EFCC’s effort to interrogate the directors of Slok failed as they failed to respond to invitation.

He, however, said Kalu and Udeogue honoured EFCC’s invitation and made statements to the anti-graft agency.

He said when Udeogu was confronted with the petition and other documents leading to the investigation, he claimed that the funds transferred into Slok’s account were meant for the importation of okrika (second-hand clothes) from Cotonou, Benin Republic.

The witness said, “Further investigation also disclosed that the payments were claimed to have been used to purchase okrika materials from Cotonous in Benin Republic. It was Jones Udeogu who told us this.

“We requested for any contractual record of the Abia State Government House to establish whether there was any existing contract between Abia State Government House and Slok Nigeria Limited, we discovered that there was no such document on record to that effect in the Abia State Government House or Abia State Government in general.”

The witness said Kalu, Udeogu, Madu and Akpan were all invited and interrogated and they all made statements.

The court admitted the statements as exhibits as the defence counsel did not object.

Further proceedings were adjourned till Wednesday (today).

[Source: Punch NG]

6 Comments

6 Comments

  1. Omoladun

    November 29, 2017 at 5:35 AM

    birds of same feather. bunch of thieves

  2. DB

    November 29, 2017 at 7:00 AM

    Be a governor, get paid as a governor, divert public funds, finish your term, get mansions in any place of your choosing and SUVs every 4yrs, become a senator, get paid as a senator, get governor’s pension at the same time and still keep collecting bribes! This summarises why Nigeria cant move forward until there is a complete overhaul of this vicious cycle!

    • ADE EAGLE

      November 30, 2017 at 4:54 PM

      I HAVE MADE THIS SUGGESTION SEVERAL TIMES THE ONLY WAY NIGERIA CAN SORT OUT OUR PROBLEM IS SIMPLE…….
      PUT ALL THE PAST RULERS AND ALL THE CORRUPT POLITICIANS IN A HOUSE AND BLOW THEM UP WITH A BOMB

  3. iron bar

    November 29, 2017 at 8:52 AM

    I KNOW MORE CAN OF WORMS WILL BE OPENED ON KALUS HEAD.HE SWITCHED TO APC MONTHS AGO AS SOON AS EFCC AND COURT SERVED HIM NOTICE OF APPEARANCE.HE HAS BECOME A VIBRANT CAMPAIGNER FOR BUHARIS CONTINUITY TILL 2023.THIS IS A STRATEGY TO BE EXONERATED FROM BEING PROBED AND PROSECUTED.THIS GOVT OF LIES WHO CLEARED CURRENT APC STAKE HOLDER AND EX GOV SYLVA OF BAYELSA STATE OF HUNDREDS OF HOUSES IN ABUJA AND BILLIONS HE STASHED AWAY.SAME APC WHO PLACED AN ARREST WARRANT ON OBANIKORO WHILE IN US BUT DECAMPED TO APC AND HIS SINS WERE FORGIVEN.OUR GOD IS TOO QUICK TO STRIKE THESE CRIMINALS IN POWER.SAME NOISE EFCC MADE DURING JONATHANS ADMIN,SAME NOISE WILL CONTINUE.I WISH ZIMBABWEAN HURRICANE WILL SWEEP ALL OF THEM OUT.

  4. ADE EAGLE

    November 30, 2017 at 4:58 PM

    MY SUGGESTION IS THAT ALL THE PAST RULERS OF NIGERIA CORRUPT GOVERNORS CORRUPT SENATORS DOWN TO THE LOCAL COUNCIL CHAIRMEN BE LOCKED UP IN A HOUSE AND BLOW THEM UP WITH A BOMB SO THAT THEY WONT BE ABLE TO COME BACK TO STEAL

  5. effiong ekpo

    December 5, 2017 at 12:20 PM

    No wonder he has turned pro-buhari recently. However, nothing is happening jare as he has turned an apc advocate

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