$2.1bn Arms Probe: Metuh Wants Court to Summon Jonathan as Witness

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Monday, October 23rd, 2017

ABUJA, NIGERIA (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – A former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, Olisa Metuh, Monday told a Federal High Court in Abuja that he would subpoena the immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan as a defence witness in his alleged on going N400m trial.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC had in January 2016, arraigned Metuh and his private firm, Destra Investments Limited before court, on seven counts including money laundering, which involved alleged cash transaction of $2m and fraudulent receipt of N400m, part of the money meant for procurement of arms from the NSA office on November 22, 2014.

Speaking, Metuh’s Counsel, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), told Justice Okon Abang at the resumed hearing of the suit confirmed that he had written Dr. Jonathan to in the same regard, but that the former President has not replied.

The Lawyer stated further that his intention was to apply for subpoena to be served on the ex-President after former National Security Adviser NSA, Col (rtd) Sambo Dasuki, who has earlier been summoned to testify as Metuh’s witness has ended his testimony.

“We have another witness on subpoena, and at the end of the evidence of this another witness, we will take a decision on whether or not the first defendant (Metuh) will testify.

“The other witness we want to subpoena is Goodluck Jonathan, former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria” Metuh’s Counsel said.

Dr. Ikpeazu said Dasuki was billed to be the next witness Monday, but the former NSA was absent, still, sent his Lawyer. Mr. Ahmed Raji (SAN).

Mr. Raji however opposed the prayer by Metuh’s Lawyer, which is compelling the ex-NSA to testify as Metuh’s defence witness.

It would be recalled that the Court of Appeal in Abuja had on September 29, 2017 ordered the Department of State Service DSS to produce Dasuki before the court to enable him to testify as Metuh’s witness.

Justice Peter Ige in a unanimous judgement delivered by a three-man panel, ordered the trial judge, Justice Abang before whom Metuh is being prosecuted, to immediately sign the subpoena filed by the ex-PDP spokesperson and same be served on Col Dasuki, who has since December 2015 been in the custody of the DSS.

In the ruling, the panel which also comprised Justices Emmanuel Agim and Mohammed Mustapha directed Justice Abang to indicate the date which the DSS must produce Dasuki in court and other subsequent dates when the ex-NSA’s court attendance would be required.