The much-anticipated arraignment of Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu charged with alleged N7.1 billion fraud, was stalled on Tuesday due to new developments that cropped up.
Although the ex-governor now Senate Chief Whip appeared at the Federal High Court in Abuja ahead of his arraignment Tuesday morning, the arraignment did not take place as ordered by the apex court.
A new date, June 7 has now been fixed for his arraignment before Justice Inyang Ekwo on money laundering related charges.
While opening his argument on the matter, counsel to the EFCC, Mr Chile Okoronma told the court that there was a preliminary matter that needed to be resolved before the former Abia governor could be arraigned.
Okoronma hinted that the prosecution has written a letter to the Chief Judge of the court seeking a transfer of the matter to the Lagos division of the court.
He then prayed that the matter be adjourned indefinitely, arguing that proceeding with the matter in the Abuja division of the court would be an exercise in futility.
“Looking at the charge sheet, no element of any of the offenses took place in Abuja. We will be asking that the matter be adjourned “sine die” (indefinitely) while we await the response from the chief judge,” Okoronma told court.
The trial judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, however, refused to adjourn the matter indefinitely and insisted that counsel should take a specific date to return to court.
After hearing out the prosecution, the trial Judge adjourned the matter till June 7 for a report on whether it should be transferred to Lagos or not.
Ekwo ruled: “Having rejected an application for an adjournment sine die, I hereby make an order adjourning this matter until June 7.”
