By Uche Mbah
Former GOVERNOR OF Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, has filed a post-conviction bail application on health grounds pending when he will appeal against his Jail sentence.
Recently, Kalu was convicted by a high Court and sent to jail for twelve years over N7.1 billion fraud, and is currently serving his prison sentence.
He is serving his Jail sentence at Ikoyi Prisons.
The Court had ordered the liquidation and forfeiture of his company, Slok Nigeria Limited. This is not the whole of Slok group of companies, but recently the economic and financial Crimes commission, EFCC sealed off the Premises of The Sun Newspapers, which was not mentioned by the court. They however, left the Telegraph, owned by Kalu.
Telegraph was founded after the case that convicted Kalu started twelve years ago.
Kalu is just one of the shareholders in The Sun, which is jointly owned by other Nigerians.
In his appeal, Kalu complained of “serious health issues that the medical facilities in the prison cannot handle”, adding that as the senator representing Abia north, “the interest of his constituents would be in jeopardy if he was kept behind bars.” He asked to be left free to challenge his conviction from outside the prison bars.
Even as a prisoner, he is still a serving senator as his allowances are still being paid, and he is yet to be recalled by his people. In fact, there appeared to a tacit approval of his imprisonement by a section of his constituency, if feelers after his conviction is anything to go by.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC objected to the bail, saying that there is no recent medical case, since the medical report submitted by Kalu’s Lawyers is more than a year old. According to him, Ikoyi custodial center where he is being kept can handle his medical condition.
The Presiding judge, Mohamed Liman, adjourned the caseto December 23, 2019.
