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Nigeria yet to deal with alleged thieving ex-gov 11 years after

Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has established a new sum as the amount of money allegedly stolen by former Abia State governor, Orji Uzo Kalu

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Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has established a new sum as the amount of money allegedly stolen by former Abia State governor, Orji Uzo Kalu.

The new figures now stand at N7.65 billion, up from N2.9 billion. The agency had on Tuesday re-arraigned Kalu before the Federal High Court in Lagos.

Kalu has been on trial for eleven years, raising serious concerns over quality of prosecution and willingness of government to pursue the case. The suspect is a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party in Nigeria.

The anti-graft agency re-arraigned him alongside his company, Slok Nigeria Limited, and Ude Udeogu, who served as the Director of Finance and Account, Abia State Government House, under Kalu.

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EFCC had 11 years ago levelled a 34 count-charge against Kalu over alleged diversion, stealing and laundering of N2.9 billion.

On Tuesday, however, the commission re-arraigned the former governor on amended increased charges, from 34 to 39, and an increased amount of N7.65 billion from the initial N2.9 billion.

According to the prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), the amendment became essential in view of new facts revealed by some of the 19 witnesses who had testified against Kalu and his co-defendants in court.

The trial judge, Justice Mohammed Idris, paved the way for the re-arraignment of the defendants, having sacked the objection raised by the defence counsel to the amended charge sheet.

Aside the N7.1 billion, Kalu and his co-defendants were also alleged to have received a total of N460 million allegedly stolen from the Abia State Government treasury between July and December 2002.

Kalu, Udeogu and Slok Nigeria Limited, meanwhile, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them and were allowed to continue with the bail granted them 11 years ago when they were first arraigned.

Metro

South Africa slams 54 fraud, immigration charges on Rwandan genocide suspect

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One of the most wanted Rwandan Genocide suspects, Fulgence Kayishema has been slammed with a 54-count charge by South African prosecutors, including fraud and immigration charges.

Kayishema, an ex-Rwandan police officer who is wanted internationally over his alleged role in Rwanda’s 1994 genocide, was arraigned at a Cape Town court on Friday.

After being on the run for over two decades, Kayishema was arrested on May 24 on a grape farm in South Africa where he had been hiding under a false name, according to a prosecutor, who said refugees working in the farm gave him up.

Spokesperson of the South African prosecutors, Eric Ntabazalila, who addressed a press conference outside the court, said the fugitive now faced 54 separate charges relating to fraud and immigration offences, up from five previously preferred against him.

Kayishema had been a fugitive from justice since 2001, when the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) indicted him for genocide for allegedly ordering the massacre of 2,000 people hiding in the Nyange Catholic Church,” Ntabazalila told journalists.

Some of the charges could see Kayishema imprisoned for up to 15 years, said Ntabazalila.

South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) also allege that Kayishema used a false identity to apply for asylum and refugee status in South Africa.

The case was adjourned to June 20 to allow Kayishema’s defence team to consult, at which point he could apply for bail, while he is also expected to face extradition to Rwanda to be tried over the ICTR genocide indictment.

With Kayishema’s arrest, there are only three indicted fugitives still on the run after a sweeping indictment by the international tribunal.

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US, WFP, USAID suspend food aid to Ethiopia

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The United States along with the World Food Program (WFP) and the USAID have suspended food aid to Ethiopia following allegations of theft and diversion by government officials.

The WFP and the USAID announced the suspension on Friday, a day after the US government announced that it was suspending the programme due to the same reasons.

WFP Executive Director, Cindy McCain, who made the announcement early on Friday, said the suspension was temporary, until a full investigation was conducted by the Ethiopian government.

“We will temporarily cease food aid in Ethiopia, but nutritional assistance to children, pregnant and lactating women, school meals programs and activities to strengthen farmers and herders in the face of external shocks will continue without interruption,” McCain said in a press release.

Diversion of food is absolutely unacceptable. The Ethiopian government’s commitment to investigate and hold those responsible accountable is welcomed.

“WFP is working closely with its UN partners, humanitarian organizations and local actors to reform the way aid is distributed across Ethiopia,” she added.

On Thursday, the US government’s international aid agency, USAID, had announced the suspension of its food aid to Ethiopia, while denouncing a “widespread and coordinated operation to divert.”

“USAID intends to immediately resume food aid as soon as we have confidence in the integrity of the distribution systems to get aid to its intended recipients,” the agency had said.

In a joint statement with the USAID, Ethiopian authorities assured that a joint investigation was underway “so that the perpetrators of these hijackings are accountable.”

According to the UN humanitarian agency (OCHA), more than 20 million people of the 120 million Ethiopian population, about 16%, depend on food aid due to conflicts or recurring drought in the region which has also displaced 4.6 million people in the country.

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