Supreme Court nullifies Orji Uzor Kalu’s 12-year conviction
The Supreme Court has set aside the court judgment that sentenced a former governor of Abia state, Orji Uzor-Kalu, to 12 years in prison - The apex court nullified Kalu’s conviction in a unanimous decision by a seven-man panel of justices led by Justice Amina Augie -
The panel faulted the conviction of the former governor on the grounds that the Federal High Court in Lagos acted without jurisdiction when it convicted Kalu
The Supreme Court has nullified the court judgment that sentenced a former governor of Abia state, Orji Uzor-Kalu, to 12 years imprisonment over alleged corruption. Vanguard newspaper reports that the apex court nullified Kalu’s conviction in a unanimous decision by a seven-man panel of Justices led by Justice Amina Augie on Friday, May 8.
The apex court nullified Kalu’s conviction in a unanimous decision. Photo credits: Vanguard Source: UGC
The panel faulted the conviction of the former governor on the grounds that the Federal High Court in Lagos acted without jurisdiction when it convicted Kalu.
The Supreme Court ruled that the trial Justice Mohammed Liman was no longer a judge of the Federal High Court as at the time he sat and delivered the judgement that convicted the defendants for allegedly stealing about N7.1billion from Abia state treasury.
The apex court noted that Justice Liman lacked the powers to return to sit as a High Court Judge having been elevated to the Court of Appeal before then.
The Supreme Court consequently, set aside the judgment that convicted the Kalu and his co- accused and ordered a fresh trial.
In another news report, the Federal High Court has dismissed the idea that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has no power to investigate the allegation of certificate forgery by the former head of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for Recovery of Public Property (SPIP), Okoi Obono-Obla.
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