N2.9bn Fraud: EFCC Closes Case Against Orji Kalu

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Friday closed its case in the trial of a former governor of Abia State, Orji Kalu, who is being prosecuted for an alleged fraud of N2.9bn.

Kalu was re-arraigned on October 31, 2016 by the EFCC on 34 counts of money laundering before Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

He was re-arraigned alongside Udeh Udeogu and Slok Nigeria Limited.

The EFCC closed its case on Friday following the cross-examination by its last witness, Chidi Chukwuka, a forensic investigator.

The witness had while fielding questions from Kalu’s lawyer, Prof. Awa Kalu (SAN), told the court that the EFCC was not aware that former President Olusegun Obasanjo wrote ex-American President, George Bush, over a $1.7m Potomac house which a former governor of Abia State, Orji Kalu, purchased in 2003.

He said the alleged letter between Obasanjo and Bush was none of the anti-graft agency’s business.

He equally denied knowledge of the existence of any similar correspondence between Obasanjo and then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair.

“I suggest to you that it was not only the EFCC that was interested in the property in Exhibit W1. I said so because then President Olusegun Obasanjo had correspondence with then US President, George W. Bush,” Kalu confronted Chukwuka.

Responding, the investigator said, “My office is in the EFCC, not in the US.”

“You may not also be aware that Obasanjo was in correspondence with then UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair, with respect to some properties,” Kalu suggested to the witness.

“Not to my knowledge,” he replied.

Asked by the SAN whether the EFCC discovered in the course of its investigations that the former governor acquired a “family house” in Boston, Massachusetts, “as far back as 1997”, Chukwuka said he did not investigate the property.

“We are aware that the first defendant, by Nigerian standard, it is possible he has a house in the US but the house in the US was not subject to investigation; so, we did not pay attention to that,” he added.

“Did you find out that the area where that family house was located had racial issue on account of which he put it up for sale?” the lawyer asked the investigator.

“It was not part of our investigation,” he said.

The lawyer further suggested to the investigator that “as a result of the racial issue, the first defendant sold the property for $3.8m in 2003,” to which, Chukwuka again replied that “it was not part of our investigation, sir.”

“Did your investigation show that the Potomac house was acquired with proceeds from the sale of the Boston property?” Kalu asked the investigator.

“We found an account where $1.7m was drawn and paid from a Nigerian bank,” the investigator said.

“Did you uncover an account from Nigeria or any part of Africa where $1.7m was drawn to pay for the property?” Kalu asked.

“It may interest you that the suspect was investigated that time and he had foreign accounts and funds were moved from Nigeria into those foreign accounts,” the investigator said.

“I suggest to you that the property in Potomac was funded from an offshore account in the US,” Kalu put to the investigator, who then responded, “You are right.”

“Specifically, that fund was from Chase Manhattan Bank, now JPMorgan; that was where the house was paid for,” Kalu said, to which Chukwuka replied, “Yes.”

The witness, however, said he was not aware that the ex-governor is a “legal permanent resident” in the US who holds a green card.

The witness said he was aware that Kalu filled and submitted assets declaration forms in 1999 and 2003.

“Did the asset declaration forms of 1999 and 2003 show the first defendant to be a pauper, a person who has no means or worthless?” Kalu asked the investigator.”

amid tears from thousands of sympathisers, who besieged  his premises at  Goron Dutse in the Dala Local Government Area  of Kano State.

Prominent among personalities, who witnessed the interment of the late cleric, included the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the Sultan of Sokoto, Abubakar Sa’ad 111, the Emir of Kano, Mohammad Sanusi 11, and business magnate, Aliko Dangote, Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Yusuf Buratai and several others.

The remains of the Islamic scholar was laid before a large congregation of Islamic faithful in an ambulance at the Sheikh Muhammad Rabiu Mosque, which was named after his late father, Mohammadu Rabiu.

The funeral prayer was led by Sheik Tijjani Aliyu Sisa, the Chief Imam of Kaulaha Mosque in Senegal, who stood in for Sheik Inyass.

The late Rabiu had died last Monday at the age of 93 during a protracted illness at a London hospital.

In an interview, the Chief Imam of Kofar Mata, Sheikh Nasir Adam, described the late khalifa as a dedicated and committed gentleman who served as an embodiment of justice and a good philanthropist.

As a close confidant to the late Sheik Isiaka Rabiu, the Chief Imam said the vacuum created by his death would be very difficult to fill. The late Khalifa left behind 42 children and so many grand children to mourn him.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday advised the children of the late Islamic scholar and businessman to build on the cherished legacies of gentlemanliness and friendliness of their father.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists.

Shehu said Buhari was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, at the burial of the deceased in Kano.

The President challenged his children to build on his laudable legacies and surpass them.

“Your father lived a life worthy of emulation,” the President said.

The Federal Government delegation included the National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Babagana Munguno (retd.);  Minister of Water Resources, Sulaiman Adamu, the Ministers of State for Aviation and Environment, Hadi Sirika and Ibrahim Usman Jibril.

Others were the Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris and Shehu.