Alleged N400m fraud: Metuh docked, remanded

JUSTICE Okon Abang of the Abuja division of the Federal High Court on Fri­day ordered that the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP], Chief Olisa Metuh, be remanded in prison pend­ing the hearing of his bail ap­plication fixed for Tuesday January 19, 2016.

Metuh was yesterday ar­raigned with his firm, Des­tra Investments Limited on seven-count money laun­dering charge involving the sum of N400 million which he allegedly received from the former National Security Adviser [NSA], Col. Sambo Dasuki (ret) in November 2014 out of the $2.1 billion meant from the purchase of arms and ammunition to fight the Boko Haram insurgency.

Although the PDP spokes­man pleaded not guilty to the charges, his bail application was not taken in view of the objection by the prosecution counsel, Mr. Sylvester Tahir, who insisted on a formal ap­plication.

His objection was upheld by Justice Abang, who held that having opposed the oral application and the fact that evidence that needed to be adduced for and against the bail application could not be led from the bar (by lawyers), saying it was necessary to di­rect the defence to make the application formal.

Besides, the prosecu­tion counsel also opposed Metuh’s lawyer, Onyeachi Ikpeazu [SAN] to the effect that his client be remanded in the custody of the EFCC.

In his ruling, the judge upheld the objection and di­rected that the accused be re­manded in prison.

Justice Abang directed the defence to file and serve the bail application within six hours from the time of de­livering the ruling and also directed EFCC if it wishes, to file and serve its objection to it within 24 hours.

He ruled that the defence was at liberty to file a further response to EFCC’s objection to the bail application within five hours if it intended to.

The judge also directed that the trial will commence on January 25 and would proceed on day to day.

Earlier, Metuh who was arraigned along with his firm, Destra Investments Limited, pleaded not guilty to the sev­en counts.

The EFCC alleged in the laundering case, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/05/2016, that Metuh and Destra through their account with Diamond Bank Plc collected the sum of N400m from the NSA office on November 22, 2015, for PDP’s campaign activities.

The prosecution alleged that the N400m was “part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity” of the immediate past NSA, Col. Sambo Da­suki (retd.).

In the fresh charges, Metuh and Destra allegedly trans­ferred the sum of N21.8m to Anenih and they (Metuh and Destra) thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2) (b) of the Money Laun­dering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended in 2012) and punishable under section 15(3) of the same Act.

The EFCC alleged in the last and seventh count that out of the N400m col­lected from the NSA office, Metuh transferred the sum of N21,776,000 to Anenih on December 4, 2014.

In counts five and six, Metuh and the company on December 2, 2014 allegedly made separate cash payments of $1m each to Kabiru Ibra­him and Sie Iyenome of Cap­ital Field Investments.

Both cash payments of the total sum of $2m were said to have been made through an agent of the accused per­son, named, Nneka Nicole Ararume.

By the cash payments, the accused were said to have committed offences contrary to section 1 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act as amended in 2012 and pun­ishable under section 16(2) (b) of the same Act.

Metuh had approached a Federal High Court in Abuja with a suit seeking an order for his release from the cus­tody of the Economic and Fi­nancial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

In the suit for the enforce­ment of his fundamental rights filed on his behalf by his counsel, Ifedayo Adedik­pe (SAN), the PDP spokes­man told the court that his continuous detention by the anti-graft agency amounts to violation of his fundamental rights.

He then asked the court to order the EFCC to release him or charge him to court.

Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), counsel to the EFCC told the court that the commission has a valid court order to de­tain the PDP spokesman over corruption related crimes.

The commission also says that it has already filed a 7-count criminal charge bor­dering on corruption against Metuh before a Federal High Court in Abuja and that he will soon be arraigned in court.

The charge, signed by the Assistant Director Legal and Prosecution Department of the EFCC, Sylvanus Tahir and filed yesterday has not been assigned to any judge.

source: Daily sun