The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Thursday asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to transfer to Lagos the fresh trial of a former Abia State governor, Senator Orji Kalu and two others in an alleged N7.1bn fraud.
The motion on notice seeking the transfer was brought pursuant to Sections 18, 19, 22 and 45 of the Federal High Court Act 2010 and Section 93 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
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Two others on the motion paper are Jones Udeogo and Sloks Nigeria Limited, an alleged family company of Kalu.
Counsel to the EFCC, Oluwaleke Atolagbe said the motion was predicated on five grounds among which was that the Abuja division of the Federal High Court lacked the requisite territorial jurisdiction to entertain and try the defendants in the instant charge.
Another ground for seeking transfer of the trial was that the charge was preferred against Orji Uzor Kalu, Slok Nigeria Limited, and Ude Jones Udeogu at the Federal High Court Abuja sometimes in number 2007 by the EFCC, following an investigation by the commission.
Kalu, Udeogu and Slok Nigeria Limited were in December 2019 convicted and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment on the charges brought by the EFCC.
Justice Inyang Ekwo fixed May 17 for determination of the application.
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