A former Abia State Governor and Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu, who has been standing trial on a N7.1billion money laundering charge since the tenure of President Olusegun Obasanjo and granted a “reprieve” recently by the Supreme Court, was on Tuesday rearraiged in Abuja.
The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) had picked Kalu up and docked him.
Persecondnews recalls that Kalu had defected from People’s Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress to contest Senatorial seat in 2019, ostensibly to escape justice.
He is facing a retrial at the Federal High Court, Abuja, beforer Justice Inyang Ekwo.
On December 5, 2019, Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court, Lagos, had convicted Kalu and sent to jail for a 12-year term.
He was convicted alongside his firm, Slok Nigeria Ltd, and a former Director of Finance in Abia State, Jones Udeogu.
Idris had described money laundering as a crime against humanity.
After spending some months in prison, the Supreme Court in a ruling on Udeogu’s appeal nullified the trial.
Udeogu was set free by the court. And Orji, who was a party in the case also sought freedom.
Kalu was also released on June 3, 2020.
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