Alleged N400 Million Fraud: Court fixes 14 October for arraignment of Olisa Metuh
Alleged N400 Million Fraud: Court fixes 14 October for arraignment of Olisa Metuh
By Matthew Eloyi
The Federal High Court, Abuja on Tuesday fixed 14 October for the arraignment of former National Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh, over alleged N400 million fraud.
The date was fixed following the absence of the new trial Judge, Obiora Egwuatu, in court.
All the parties in the matter, including Metuh, were in court but Metuh’s retrial could not proceed because of the judge’s absence.
It would be recalled that the Court of Appeal, Abuja on 16 December 2020, nullified a Federal High Court’s judgment that convicted and sentenced Metuh to seven years imprisonment for money laundering.
In a unanimous decision, a three-man panel of Justices of the appellate court, held that the judgment of the trial Judge, Okon Abang, delivered against Metuh on 25 February 2020, was tainted with bias. The appellate court held that Abang, had by disparaging remarks he made in the judgment, betrayed his premeditated mindset against the defendant (Metuh) whom he accused of writing various petitions against him.
According to Justice Stephen Adah who delivered the lead verdict of the appellate court, allowing the trial court’s verdict to stand “will set a dangerous precedent.”
Consequently, it voided the conviction and sentence that was handed to Metuh and his firm, Destra Investment Limited, and remitted the case file back to the high court for a re-trial by another judge.
It was reported that Metuh was jailed over the allegation that he received the sum of N400 million from the former National Security Adviser, Retd Colonel Sambo Dasuki, prior to the 2015 Presidential Election, without contract approval or execution.
His earlier conviction followed a seven-count charge that was preferred against him and his firm by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Alleged N400 Million Fraud: Court fixes 14 October for arraignment of Olisa Metuh
