A prosecution
witness in the case against former National Publicity Secretary of the PDP,
Chief Olisa Metuh, resumed testimony before a Federal High Court in Abuja,
with
more revelations on how Metuh made cash payments to the Nigerian Television
Authority (NTA), the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigerian (FRCN) and other
media entities, who all benefited from the N400 million misappropriated arms
fund for which he is standing trial.
Meanwhile, deputy
Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has officially stood in as surety to Metuh,
after one of his surety, Dr. Olugbumi Usim-Wilson, withdrew her sureteeship.
The witness, Mr.
Richard Ihediwa, told justice Okon Abang
that the Daily Trust, Champion and Newswatch newspapers were also paid in cash
to launder the image of the president.
The witness who gave
details of the account during cross examination by counsel to Destra Investment
Limited, Mr. Torchukwu Onwugbufor, told the court that Metuh paid cash to one
Segun Olatunji Jacobs of the Tribune newspaper, but added that he could not
remember some of the newspaper houses that were paid in cash.
He said, the media
campaign in support of former President Goodluck Jonathan became necessary
because of the agitation from North, South-South, South-West and South-East.
“The issue of
resource control, infrastructural development and the implementation of the
recommendation from the National conference was threatening in the
South-South,” he explained.
“In the North, there
was the issue of insecurity. The agitation led to a lot of demand on the former
president and he felt the best way to handle the agitation was through media
publicity and public enlightenment instead of the use of the gun or force,” he said.
Earlier, a motion
filed by Dr. Olugbumi Usim-Wilson seeking the withdrawal of her sureteeship for
Metuh was heard.
SUNNEWSONLINE
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