The Centre For Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) has condemned the Supreme Courtâs recent decision, discharging former Abia State Governor Orji Uzor Kalu and ordering a retrial of his 13 year old corruption case at the Federal High Court, Lagos.
This was contained in a press release issued by Mr Okechukwu Ndiribe, CACOLâs Coordinator For Media Research and Documentation (CMRD) on behalf of the Centreâs Chairman Mr Debo Adeniran.
According to the CACOL boss: âWe knew all along that something fishy was happening to Kaluâs case after he joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) few years ago. That was why we raised the alarm about two years ago when Kalu was given permission to travel abroad and his case adjourned indefinitely at the Federal High Court. Despite the grave charges he was facing, Kalu was given permission to travel abroad for medical attention, despite the fact that other suspects facing trial for lighter corruption cases were denied the same privilege.â
The CACOL boss further pointed out that: âWe observed that Orji Kaluâs team of lawyers long ago mastered the act of frustrating the judicial system through the application of various schemes and antics to ensure that the case got stalled or forgotten since they did not have enough evidence to debunk the fraud allegations their client was facingâ.
He continued: âWhen the Judge presiding over Kaluâs case was elevated to the Court of Appeal, we suspected the matter might get stalled till a new judge who will start the case afresh is appointed.  It was on the basis of this possibility which would have further elongated the trial of the case that we opposed the contemplation of such a move. We insisted that the President of the Court of Appeal should exercise the powers conferred on him by the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) to grant Justice Mohammed Idris permission to conclude the trial in line with the spirit of the legislation.â
The CACOL boss said he identified with the views already expressed by Prof. Itse Sagay, the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) and prominent human rights lawyer Mr Femi Falana that the Nigerian ruling class was desperate to prevent Kalu from facing the full wrath of the law.
He maintained that this type of attitude is tantamount to subverting the rule of law and further subjecting the judiciary to ridicule and opprobrium.