You must face trial, supreme court tells Kalu

The supreme court has ruled that the corruption trial of Orji Uzor Kalu, former Abia state governor, must continue.

Kalu is standing trial for a 107-count of corruption and money laundering charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The anti-graft agency accused him of illegally diverting about N5.6 billion meant for the state between 1999 and 2007 when he was governor.

The EFCC arraigned him before a federal high court in Abuja shortly after he left office, but Kalu has used various interlocutory applications to prevent the trial from continuing.

He had challenged the competence of the charge, as well as the jurisdiction of the court.

After losing at the high court, Kalu approached the appeal court, from where he headed to the apex court.

In its lead verdict read by Suleiman Galadima, the supreme court said the former governor has a case to answer.

The court also ordered that the case be assigned to a new judge.