Trial adjourned till March 14
The trial of former National Publicity Secretary of the
Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, continued yesterday.
He was brought to court in an ambulance belonging to the
National Hospital, Abuja, and remained strapped to a stretcher during
proceedings.
Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had on
January 25 ordered Metuh to appear in court on February 5 or be arrested and
sent to jail. This was after failed efforts by counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu, to
secure an adjournment to enable the former spokesperson to attend to his
health.
A letter dated January 21 and signed by one Doctor Ekweogwu
O. C. of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, was addressed to the
court, notifying it that Metuh was sick and was receiving treatment at the
hospital.
The judge had, however, doubted its authenticity, questioning
how it found its way into the court file.
Not satisfied with the argument by Metuh’s lawyer, Abang
stated he would no longer accept any report by any medical doctor in Nigeria
until the trial was concluded.
Metuh had sought to travel abroad for treatment earlier in
the trial. The court denied the application, referring him to any of the
teaching hospitals in the country.
But at the resumed hearing, yesterday, his health condition
forced the court to exercise restraint on compassionate ground.
After the prosecution counsel Sylvanus Tahir and Metuh’s
counsel Ikpeazu had made their submissions, the court held that it was minded
to grant an adjournment.
Abang, therefore, accepted Ikpeazu’s plea that the trial be
adjourned for one month. He said: “The first defendant is in court. But his
counsel informed the court that he is indisposed to continue trial and pleaded
for a one-month adjournment. The court also noted that the prosecution counsel
did not oppose the oral application of Ikpeazu that the matter be adjourned to
a period of one month.
“I have considered the application of counsel to the first
defendant and the response of the prosecution counsel. I must say that the
court of law must be firm and fair to all parties. The court of law must also
be humane.
“On account of the condition of Metuh that I have seen this
morning in the courtroom, I am inclined to grant an adjournment, to enable him
to attend to his medical needs. Consequently, this trial, God willing, has been
adjourned to March 14,15 and 16, for continuation.”
Earlier, Tahir had told the court to use its discretion to
grant an adjournment, while appealing for understanding from the defence
lawyers.
“May I disabuse the mind of the court, the gallery and
counsel for defence that we are prosecutors and not persecutors. We are doing
our job. And in doing that, we have no ill feelings about anybody,” Tahir said.
Metuh is standing trial over alleged corruption.
Part of the seven-count charge filed against him by the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission reads: “That you Olisa Metuh and Destra
Investment Limited, on or about November 24, 2014 in Abuja, within the
jurisdiction of this honourable court, took possession of the sum of N400,000
000:00 (Four hundred Million Naira) only, paid into the account of Destra
Investments Limited with Diamond Bank Plc, with account number : 0040437573,
from the account of the office of the National Security Adviser with the
Central Bank of Nigeria without contract award when you reasonably ought to
have known that the said fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful
activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (rtd.); the then National Security
Adviser (to wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) and thereby committed
an offence contrary to section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition)
Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under section 15(3) of the same
Act.”
0 Comments