By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
Senior Correspondent
Justice Mohammed Idris of a Federal High Court Lagos was on Tuesday (today) told by the prosecution counsel that Mike Udoh, a star prosecution witness in the trial of the former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu is nowhere to be found
The position of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on the unavailabilty of the witness on any of the past adjourned dates was made known to the Court by counsel to EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) when the case was called up for continuation of trial.
Jacobs argued that the witness, repeatedly made himself unavailable whenever he was due to appear before the court to give his testimony.
He pointed accusing fingers at some unknown persons of being behind Udoh’s evasion and vowed that they would be brought to face the law.
But lawyers to the defendants described Jacob’s claims as frivolous and a move to waste the time of the court.
At the last hearing of the matter, a witness brought by the EFCC, John Ejim, had testified that the former Abia governor diverted Abia State government’s fund into his private company, Slok Nigeria Limited account.
Ejim who was under cross-examination in the trial which also involved the state’s former commissioner for finance, Udeh Jones Udeogu, insisted that Udeogu made use of many fictitious names to buy bank drafts in favour of Inland Bank Limited and the money consequently moved to Slok Nigeria Limited’s account.
Dr Orji Uzor Kalu together with his then commissioner are standing trial over alleged N3.2billion fraud made against them by the EFCC.
Trial on the matter continues on January 22, 2018.
