The Supreme Court has quashed the judgement that convicted and sentenced a former governor of Abia State, Senator Orji Uzor-Kalu, to 12 years imprisonment.
The Apex court, in a unanimous decision by a seven-man panel of Justices led by Justice Amina Augie, held that the Federal High Court in Lagos acted without jurisdiction when it convicted Senator Kalu, his firm, Slok Nigeria Limited and former Director of Finance in Abia State, Mr. Jones Udeogu.
The Court held that trial judge, Justice Mohammed Liman had been elevated to the Court of Appeal and was no longer a judge of the Federal High Court as at the time he sat and delivered the judgement that convicted the defendants for allegedly stealing about N7.1billion from Abia state treasury.
The Apex court therefore vacated the judgement that convicted the defendants and ordered a fresh trial of the defendants.
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos had on December, last year, sentenced Senator Uzor-Kalu, to 12 years imprisonment for fraud and money laundering.