Orji Kalu will receive full salaries, allowances in prison ― Senate

The Senate has said its convicted Chief Whip, Senator Orji Kalu will continue to receive his salaries and all other entitlements even while in prison.

The spokesperson of the Senate, Godiya Akwashiki, disclosed this to Premium times.

He said despite the conviction, Kalu remains a sitting senator, hence, all of his entitlements will be paid in full.

This is even as he will not be performing any legislative function from prison, yet, he will receive his salaries and all entitlements.

Akwashiki said: “He is still a senator. This is the first court. The matter is going to Supreme Court, so, he still has the opportunity to appeal up to the Supreme Court level.

“Of course they will pay him. Because he is a sitting senator just like I said… if you file for an appeal, you are still serving and so they will pay you.

“All his entitlements will be paid. There is no cause for alarm. In fact, even if the Court of Appeal says they have upheld the judgement of the lower court, he still has the right to go to Supreme Court. So once the Supreme Court says, yes, the judgement is okay, then that’s the final,” he explained.

Akwashiki said that until the case gets to Supreme Court and a final judgement is given, Kalu remains a serving lawmaker.

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Akwashiki also explained that the convicted lawmaker’s senatorial seat will not be declared vacant.

He said this is on the basis that there is no provision in the constitution that says the seat of any senator facing prosecution or convicted at a lower court should be declared vacant.

“Mr Kalu’s seat will not be declared vacant except he (Mr Kalu) has explored all the legal options available to him without success,” he said.

“Even the tenure of a former governor, Joshua Dariye, who has been in prison for some time now, ran its course until the end of the 8th National Assembly. Nobody declared his seat vacant.”

Recall that a Federal High Court in Lagos sentenced former governor of Abia, Orji Kalu, to 12 years imprisonment for N7.65 billion fraud and money laundering.

The court convicted Kalu, now a senator, on all the 39 counts preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Kalu was charged alongside a former Commissioner for Finance, in the state Jones Udeogo, and his company, Slok Nig. Ltd.

While Kalu and his company were found guilty of all the 39 counts, Udeogo was convicted on 34 counts and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment.

The court ordered that the Slok Nig. Ltd. Should be wound up and its assets forfeited to the Federal Government.