EFCC ASKS HIGH COURT TO TRANSFER ORJI KALU CASE TO LAGOS DIVISION.
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The Economic and Financial Crimes commission,EFCC, has asked a federal high court sitting in Abuja to transfer the fresh trial of a former governor of Abia state, Chief Orji-Uzor Kalu and two others in an alleged 7.1 billion naira fraud, to its Lagos division
The application 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.
The Counsel to the EFCC, Mr. Oluwaleke Atolagbe said the application was predicated on 5 grounds among which are that the Abuja division of the federal high court lacked the requisite territorial Jurisdiction to entertain and try the defendants in the instant charge.
The motion further indicated that after taking their plea, the defendant brought application challenging the competence of the charge and contending that there was no primal facie case against them.
Following the decision of the Supreme Court that many of the ingredients of the offenses against them occurred in Lagos and most of the witnesses who were bank workers resided in Lagos, the EFCC applied to the chief Judge of the federal high court to transfer the matter to Lagos.
When the matter came up, the Judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo said he would not be able to take the application in view of the approaching Easter holidays.
Justice Ekwo consequently adjourned until the 17th of May, this year, for determination of the application.
