A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered that the re-arraignment of the Chief Whip of the Senate and Former Governor of Abia State, Senator Orji Uzo-Kalu, in an alleged 7.1 billion naira money laundering case be put on hold pending the resolution of the issues surrounding his retrial.
Justice Ekwo in a ruling in an ex-parte application also granted leave to the Senator representing Abia North, to challenge the legality of the retrial in the same charges.
The Judge agreed that the defendant had placed sufficient materials of value before the court to enable him to secure permission for judicial review of his retrial in charges in which he had been tried, convicted and spent some months in Kuje prison in Abuja.
He also granted Kalu permission to apply for order of perpetual injunction against the Federal Government through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC to prohibit his retrial so as not to be made to suffer double jeopardy.
Consequently, the Judge gave Senator Kalu seven days within which to file and serve on EFCC all processes, he intended to use to challenge the legality of the trial.
The matter has been adjourned until the 23rd of this month for mention.
