By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
Jones Udeogu, a co-defendant with Ex-Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, in an alleged N7.2 billion money laundering charge on Wednesday told the trial judge,Justice Mohammed Idris sitting at the Federal High Court in Lagos,Nigeria that it was only the Chief of Staff to the former governor, Dr. Theodore A. Orji, who determined who get what from the Government House account.
Udeogu was arraigned alongside Orji Uzor Kalu and a company, Slok Nigeria Ltd, before the court on charges bordering on fraud by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) but the trio had pleaded not guilty
Udeogu, a former Director of Finance in Abia State Government House during the tenure of Kalu, made the disclosure while being led-in-evidence by his lawyer, Chief Solo Akuma (SAN).
In his defence, the Udeogu (2nd defendant) who spoke from the witness box said based on Civil Service Rules, he had no direct contact with the former governor or take orders from him but from his Chief of Staff who also managed Government House funds.
“According to Civil Service Rules, nobody can bypass the Chief of Staff to see or take orders from the governor, all the Directors take orders from the Chief of Staff, Unit Heads take orders from their various Directors and it is only the Chief of Staff that can give approval for who gets what from the Government House bank accounts.
“My duty then was just to workout release of funds in any forms either by cash or cheque from the accounts”, he said, adding that all the disbursement of funds in Abia State Government House were made pursuant to the approval of the Chief of Staff.
The second defendant also denied partaking in payment of any money to the account of the third defendant (Slok Nigeria Ltd).
“I did not partake in the payment of funds to the account of Slok
Nigeria Ltd as alleged in counts 34 to 38. I am also not a signatory to
the account of Slok Nigeria Ltd.
“Neither me nor any other staff of Government House paid any money into
Slok account. We also did not receive any Board Resolution from Slok
requesting for any money to be paid into Slok account”, he said.
Further hearing in the matter continues on Friday.
