A Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday dismissed an application for bail filed by convicted former Abia Governor Orji Kalu pending the outcome of his appeal against his conviction.
Justice Mohammed Idris held that there was no tangible ground for granting the application.
He discountenanced the grounds of ill-health raised by Kalu, saying that he did not prove that the diseases he mentioned were contagious.
Idris also discountenanced the other grounds.
On the grounds that the bail would enable Kalu to represent his constituency in the Senate, the judge held that his constituents knew that he was on trial and still voted him into power.
On the grounds that the appeal might be delayed, Idris said that developments had broken past records on that.
“It is not in dispute that there are practice directions involved in appeal, but in recent times, this practice directions have been recently enhanced for speedy hearing and determination of high profile corruption cases.
“I believe the applicant can take advantage of these rules to run through the appeal channel.
“I found nothing in favour of the applicant in this application; it is, therefore, discountenanced,” the judge ruled.
Arguing a bail application of Jones Udeogo, charged, convicted and jailed along with Kalu, his counsel, S. E. Elema (SAN), urged the court to grant him bail on grounds of ill-health.
Elema said that Udeogo, the Commissioner of Finance in Abia during Kalu’s tenure as the governor, had tuberculosis and cancer.
Counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Adebisi Adeniyi, however, opposed the application.
The court adjourned the case until January 17 for ruling on Udeogo’s bail application.
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