Ex governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, who is currently the Chief Whip of the Senate, has asked the Federal High Court in Lagos to order his release from prison.
Kalu, who is in remand at the Kuje Custodial Center, in processes he filed through his team of lawyers on Thursday, argued that no legal base exists for his continued incarceration since the Supreme Court had in a judgement last Friday, quashed the conviction and 12 years jail term that was earlier handed to him.
He, therefore, prayed the high court to in line with the judgement of the apex court that ordered retrial of his case, set-aside the entire proceedings that led to his imprisonment.
Confirming the development to Vanguard Thursday night, a member of Kalu’s legal team who pleaded anonymity, further disclosed that the ex-governor had also approached the Court of Appeal in Lagos to discontinue the appeal he filed to challenge his previous conviction.
It will be recalled that Kalu was on December 5, 2019, convicted alongside his firm, Slok Nigeria Limited and former Director of Finance in Abia State, Jones Udeogu, for allegedly siphoning about N7.1billion from the Abia State treasury while he was in office as governor.
Whereas the trial court, in the judgement by Justice Mohammed Idris, sentenced Kalu to 12 years imprisonment, Udeogu was handed a 10-year jail term.
The court ordered that the firm should wound up, with its assets forfeited to the government.
It found the guilty on the strength of money laundering charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, entered against them.
