Akpan Udoh, an accountant in the Abia State Government House, who was scheduled to testify in the alleged N3.2 billion fraud trial of the former Abia
Akpan Udoh, an accountant in the Abia State Government House, who was scheduled to testify in the alleged N3.2 billion fraud trial of the former Abia Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, has relocated to Cameroon. The counsel to the prosecution told a Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday that Mr. Udoh was listed as a witness for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The EFCC had on October 31, 2016 slammed a 34-count charge bordering on N3.2 billion fraud against Kalu and his former Commissioner for Finance, Ude Udeogo as well as Kalu’s company, Slok Nigeria Ltd.
Mr. Kalu and others allegedly committed the offences between August 2001 and October 2005. The accused had pleaded not guilty to the charges. So far, the prosecution had called no fewer than 12 witnesses since the trial began. At the trial of the case at the previous adjournment, the EFCC Prosecutor, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) had called the 13th prosecution witness, Tobore Ovie, who introduced himself as an operative with the EFCC. He was led in evidence by the prosecutor who also tendered some documents through the witness.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, the witness was reminded that he was still under oath and counsel to the first accused, Awa Kalu (SAN) began cross-examination.
The witness told the court that he did not know if the prosecution’s intended witness, Mr. Udoh, an accountant in Abia State Government House who EFCC claimed was on the run, is still alive. He said that he had not met Mr. Udoh before and that he did not reside with the first accused. During re-examination, the witness said that Mr. Udoh had deliberately evaded giving evidence and that he had earlier been cooperating with the commission before they lost contact with him.
According to the witness, they were able to reach his brother who claimed that Mr. Udoh had relocated to Cameroon.
“Further efforts to get his call logs from his service provider showed that he has been hovering between Cameroon, Republic of Benin and Katsina State.”
