MALACHY UZENDU, Head Editorial, Abuja

Also, ex-governor of Jigawa State, Saminu Turaki will know his fate on July 23 when when an Abuja High Court will consider a separate bail application he filed in another matter against him.

Dariye will nevertheless reappear at another Abuja High Court in Gudu district, with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) deciding whether or not to object to his

EFCC, which dragged the three ex-governors to court, however, could not produce former Enugu state governor, Chimaroke Nnamani to face the charges pressed against him.

However, it was confirmed last night that Nnamani had been taken into custody by EFCC but later allowed to return to the National Hospital, Abuja where he is receiving treatment.

Daily Champion recalls that Kalu, Dariye and Turaki were last Friday taken to the court accused of stealing over N40 billion belonging to their respective state governments and diverting same to their private pockets while they were in government.

After the cumulative 153 charges were read to them, they all pleaded not guilty but could not move their bail applications due to legal technical encumbrances.

Kalu’s lead counsel, Awa Uma Kalu (SAN), moved the ex-governor’s bail application to which Rotimi Jacobs, EFCC lawyer said he needed 48 hours to react to the application.

Though he did not object to requests by Chief Kalu and Conrad Joseph (SAN), that the duo be remanded in EFCC custody, presiding judge, Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako decided to send them to Kuje prison.

For Dariye, Justice Babs Kuewumi, adjourned the argument on his bail application to Thursday.

At the time the courts sat yesterday morning, Nnamani was still receiving treatment in his private male ward room 2 at the National Hospital, Abuja and was guarded by a combined armed team of EFCC operatives and stern-looking mobile policemen.

While ex-governor Kalu is accused of having at various times stolen N2,788,617,500, Dariye was accused of stealing N36 billion.

Incidentally, the same Dariye and former Taraba state governor Jolly Nyame were later after the Federal High Court appearance, last Friday arraigned at an Abuja high court in Gudu (Apo) district, accused of sundry stealing and asked to come back on Thursday for their bail applications to be considered.

Apart from Dariye who had been a regular "customer" of the anti-graft agency, the other former governors are facing the EFCC and trial for the first time.

According to the charge sheet preferred against the accused former state chief executives Kalu is facing the highest number of charges listed as 107, while Dariye is facing 14 charges and Turaki 32.

In the charge sheet, Kalu was alleged to have between May 2003 and December 2005, violated sections 14 (1) and 17 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004, and punishable under the laws of the country.

He was accused along side Emeka Uzo Kalu and Eunice Agwu, whose identities EFCC did not disclose apart from that they were members of his family.

In respect of Turaki, he was alleged to have violated the same sections of the Act with additional subsection (b) along side INC Natural Resources Ltd, Arkel Construction Nig. Ltd and Wildcart Construction Ltd.

Specifically, Kalu was said to have "conspired with his alleged co-accused to launder the money in question from Abia State government account with Manny Bank (now Fidelity Bank Plc) to Slok Nig Ltd (a company solely owned by Kalu) account with Inland Bank Plc, which you (the accused) knew represent the proceed of crime with the aim of concealing the nature of the proceed of the said crime and thereby committed an offence".

For Turaki, he was accused along with the other companies of stealing the money "in concealing the genuine nature of the money (alleged) which sum was derived from an illegal act and you hereby committed an offence punishable under the MLA, 2004".

For journalists, it was a herculean moment for them as EFCC and police operatives initially prevented them from gaining access to the court premises to cover the event.

It took spirited effort of the journalists and some senior lawyers to allow the journalists access to the court premises to perform their lawful duties.

All the accused persons received strong solidarity from their political associates who thronged the court in their hundreds to cheer them up, but were kept at bay by the security operatives.

Pioneer national chairman of PDP Chief Solomon Lar-led the solidarity team for Dariye, who was remanded in EFCC’s custody while Sen. Uche Chukwumerije-led those who came in solidarity with Kalu.

Meanwhile, Nnamani has expressed surprise that he was declared wanted by EFCC despite the fact that the commission knew that he was in the hospital.

The former governor’s media aide, Igbonekwu Ogazimorah in a statement said the governor was alarmed watching on the television that he had absconded.

He said that it was based on the embarassing report that the ex-governor had to go to the headquarters of EFCC in Abuja but was detained by the commission.

"The former governor who had duly informed the EFCC of his whereabouts was earlier on chagrined by a late afternoon report on one of the television Channels, and circulated to all newsrooms that he had been declared wanted by the EFCC. He had immediately contacted both the television station and EFCC," the statement said.

He noted that it took much appeal before the commission accepted to allow him return to his hospital bed at National Hospital, Abuja.

"However, after appeals to EFCC officials on the state of his health, the former governor was returned to his hospital bed at the National Hospital at about 8.00 p.m." the statement further said.