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.