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Tag: Olisa Metuh

  • EFCC amends Metuh’s case, adds third count charge

    EFCC amends Metuh’s case, adds third count charge

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Friday amended the charge of destruction of document against Olisa Metuh, Peoples Democratic Party National Publicity Secretary.

    The charge was amended at the resumption of the proceeding by its Counsel; Sylvanus Tahir at an FCT High Court presided over by Justice Ishaq Bello.

    Tahir said the third-count of Mischief contravened Section 326 punishable under Section 327 of the Penal Code.

    Testifying in the case an EFCC witness, Mr Junaid Said, told the court that Metuh tore the commission’s document.

    Said, a Special Task Force Team member of EFCC, led in evidence by Tahir, said that the team received a petition in January 2016.

    He said that the petition was from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), retired Col. Sambo Dasuki, which alleged that he transferred N400 million to Destra Investment Limited, a company owned by Metuh.

    The EFCC witness said investigations revealed that the transfer was done without any contract approval.

    He said the team visited the resident of Metuh at Prince and Princess Estate, Abuja, on Jan. 5 and invited him to the commission.

    Said told the court that Metuh honoured the invitation and was interrogated by Ibrahim Musa, Michael Wetkas, Bello Umar, David Nkpe, Bello Adama and Eucharia Ibrahim.

    The EFCC witness said the defendant volunteered a statement to the commission.

    “My Lord, when he concluded writing his statement which was on four sheets of the EFCC statement form, I collected the statement and read over it, I then handed the statement over to my superiors Musa and Wetkas.

    “When I was handing over the statement, the defendant said he was surprised that he had written that much and that he felt he had given too much information.

    “Because of the comment, I was worried I gave him the statement sheets one after the other for endorsement,’’ the witness said.

    He said Metuh endorsed the first and second sheet, but tore the third sheet.

    The witness told the court that the third sheet was where Metuh disclosed that he received the money for PDP political activities, settle his personal needs and made reference to former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    “My lord, he suddenly tore the statement sheet into pieces, in great shock and surprise I stood up I asked him why he did what he did?

    “He said he did that because he was no longer willing to give the information on that statement sheet.

    “I then requested the pieces of the statement, he declined and attempted to put them in his pocket, I then cautioned him and told him to respect himself he insisted that he was going to dispose the tore sheet.

    “I persuaded him to handover the tore sheet and brought one plain paper before him, he poured the pieces on the plain sheet, my other colleagues were there looking at us in surprise as well.

    “He furthered tore them into pieces, saying only in the movies would this be recovered.

    “I poured the pieces in the commission’s transparent polythene bag for exhibit and made entry of the incident into the EFCC’s incident duty station diary as well as EFCC’s pocket notebook.

    “Later, in the day he requested to make additional statement, which he made, wrote his name and signed but declined to make any other statement on the tore paper.’’

    The EFCC’s incident duty station diary, EFCC’s pocket notebook and the tore pieces were tendered and admitted as exhibits.

    Said admitted under cross examination by Mr Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), Metuh’s Counsel that the issue of the tore sheet was not written in his statement.

    Ikpeazu demanded for the witness statement, but the prosecuting counsel gave him a photocopy of the statement.

    Tahir said that the defendants should have served him with notice to produce the document.

    Bello said the matter could no longer proceed without the original copy of the witness statement.

    “Documents must meet the status as required by the law, there must be a certified copy of your documents.

    “It is a healthy practice to produce the documents in your custody, especially in a criminal trial,’’ Bello told EFCC.

    Bello adjourned the case till March 16 for continuation.

  •  Court to rule on Metuh’s no-case-submission March 9

     Court to rule on Metuh’s no-case-submission March 9

    The Federal High Court, Abuja, Thursday reserved ruling till March 9 on a no-case-submission filed by Olisa Metuh, the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Metuh filed a no-case-submission in the alleged Money Laundering charges brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    NAN reports that the Judge, Justice Okon Abang, reserved the date after counsel to the parties adopted their written addresses.

    Abang said that the court’s mandate to either give ruling or deliver judgment on the motion would depend on the merit of the submissions.

    “In the circumstance, the court can only rule if the motion fails and if the motion succeeds the court can only deliver judgment,’’ he said.

    He said that if the motion fails the defendants would open their cases, but if they succeed it means striking out the charges and discharging and acquitting the defendants.

    According to him, depending on which of the two scenarios play out, the court will have to adjourn its decision till March 9.

    Earlier, Dr Onyechi Ikeazu (SAN), Counsel to Metuh and Destra Investment Limited, argued that the motion became necessary as no prima facie was established against Metuh and his company by the prosecution.

    Ikpeazu further argued that the prosecution did not establish the essential elements of the offences brought against his clients.

    “My Lord, this situation renders the case against my clients manifestly unreliable,’’ he said.

    On his part, however, Mr Sylvanus Tahir, the prosecuting counsel, said the prosecution had place essential oral and documentary evidence to warrant the defendants open their defences.

    “We want Metuh to explain the alleged role he played in the illegal diversion of N400 million meant for the procurement of arms.

    “My Lord, the EFCC by preponderance of evidence, establishes that about $2.1billion meant for the procurement of arms was diverted by retired Col. Sambo Dasuki.

    “Metuh, through his company, Destra Investment Limited, was alleged to have pocketed N400 million out of that funds,’’ he said.

  • Jonathan not needed in Metuh’s trial – EFCC

    Jonathan not needed in Metuh’s trial – EFCC

    The Economic and Financial Crimes commission (EFCC) on Tuesday said it could effectively prosecute the trial of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) spokesman, Olisa Metuh, without involving former President Goodluck Jonathan in the case.

    EFCC’s position followed Metuh’s argument that since Jonathan was allegedly involved in the process leading to the payment of funds for his presidential campaign, the ex-president is a necessary witness in the case.

    Metuh and his company, Destra Investment Limited, are being tried before the Federal High court, Abuja, for allegedly receiving N400m from the office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) for security services, which he allegedly diverted to fund his party’s activities.

    They are also accused of flouting the money laundering Act by making $2m suspicious investment.

    At the conclusion of the prosecution’s witness last week, Metuh filed a no-case submission in court.

    In the application, he argued among others, that the prosecution has failed to make out a prima facie case against him by not inviting Jonathan as its witness.

    The EFCC in its response argued that it had conveniently made out a case against Metuh for which the court should direct him to enter defence.

    The commission argued that Jonathan is not a necessary prosecution witness, saying it has effectively established its case with the number of witnesses invited to testify in court.

    It urged the court to dismiss Metuh’s no-case argument.

     

  • PDP will regain power in 2019 – Metuh

    The National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh,   said on Friday that the party is on course to regain power in 2019.

    Metuh, who was released from prison on Thursday, said in Abuja that the PDP has now overcome the initial trauma   sparked by its defeat in last year’s elections.

    In a veiled reference to the struggle for the leadership of the party by different vested interests, the PDP spokesman said the “variance of voices” was a reflection of the party’s foundation of liberal democracy.

    He spoke at a meeting of the party’s Publicity Directorate with some visiting parliamentarians from the United Kingdom, led by Mark Field, member of Parliament and Chairman of International Office of the Conservative Party, and Colin Bloom, Director of Outreach-BCP.

    The PDP, according to him, was confronted by serious challenges after losing the elections, culminating in the resignation of its National Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu.

    Metuh said every issue would be resolved by the party leadership next week.

  • Metuh released from prison

    Metuh released from prison

    The spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, was on Thursday evening released from Kuje prison after perfecting the bail conditions handed down by courts in Abuja.

    Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on January 19 granted Metuh bail in the sum of N400 million and two sureties with landed property in the Federal Capital Territory.

    Metuh is standing trial for his alleged involvement in the diversion of arms procurement funds after receiving N400 million from the Office of the National Security Adviser in 2014.

    The PDP spokesman was released from prison after Justice Abang signed his release warrant.

    The judge, according to reports, signed the release warrant, after receiving details of the two sureties and other requirements provided by Metuh.

     

  • Alleged destruction of statement: Metuh gets N600m bail 

    Alleged destruction of statement: Metuh gets N600m bail 

    Detained spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh, got reprieve Friday as a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) granted him N600 million bail.

    Metuh was arraigned before the court on Thursday on a two-count charge, in which he was accused of destroying the statement he made to operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    Before his arraignment at the FCT High Court on Thursday, Metuh had earlier been arraigned before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court on a seven-count charge of money laundering.

    The judge has since granted Metuh bail at N400m and two sureties, who must have houses in the highbrow Maitama, Abuja.

    Metuh is yet to meet the conditions attached to the bail granted him by the Federal High Court.

    Friday, Justice Ishaq Bello of the FCT High Court took argument on Metuh’s bail application.

    Metuh’s lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), while making oral application for his client’s bail, relied on the provisions of sections 158 and 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 as well as sections 35 and 36 of the Constitution.

    Lead prosecution lawyer, Sylvanus Tahir did not object to the bail application.

    Ruling, the judge agreed with the defence that the offences the accused was charged with were bailable and that he was presumed innocent until proved guilty.

    Trial in the case is expected to open on February 26.

  • Handcuffs on Metuh in order – Oshiomhole

    Handcuffs on Metuh in order – Oshiomhole

    Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole said there is nothing wrong handcuffing Mr. Olisah Metuh, the Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to answer to charges of corruption leveled against him in relation to the $2.1bn Arms fund.

    Speaking during a meeting with the new Executive Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Edo State Council, led by Sir Roland Osakwe in Benin City, Wednesday, the Governor said those who are accused of stealing he-goats are handcuffed and paraded by the police and get no sympathy from the public, why then should Metuh and others who diverted huge public funds be treated with respect and sympathy?

    Oshiomhole said, “I want to appeal to the Media to join President Buhari in fighting the anti-corruption war because if we don’t, and we allow these people to harass the President to silence, all of us are in trouble.

    “I saw some headlines querying why should Metuh be in handcuffs. If people who steal he-goats, dried grass cutters are in handcuffs; I have been to the Police Station several times and I see young men who rob not more than N500,000 naira in handcuffs, they are paraded and made them to seat on the floor. Why should certain set of criminals be treated as if they are not suspected criminals and serious crimes at that?

    “When you all reported lavishly how under the former President, the former Defense Chief set up a Military Tribunal to try Soldiers who ran away from battle field and they were condemned to death. It was only Femi Falana who was consistent in fighting their case. Those are Nigerians who were to be killed for running away because they couldn’t confront a Boko Haram that was well armed while they were asked to go and fight with their bare hands and we were told that weapons, ammunitions and everything had been provided”.

    Oshiomhole continued, “When Borno Governor said, ‘look, our Armed Forces are fighting with bare hands’, he was told to shut up. Now it is clear from current revelations that the money that would have been used to arm these young men who joined the army with pride and who on a good day has the courage to fight not only at home but abroad, but because they didn’t have arms, they ran away. They were sentenced to death. Thanks to Buhari, some have been commuted now to various terms of imprisonment which I applaud and I think even that one should further be reviewed; they should summit their uniform but remain free people.

    “Now, those who shared that money, this is not the usual security money, this is special appropriation to fight Boko Haram, $2.1 billion, people just shared it, everybody was using their son, co-opting young children into this while other people’s children were sentenced to death. And anybody who partakes in that and they put him in handcuffs, they say, why should he be in handcuff because he is an elite and the media will report it without also showing us pictures of some Nigerians whose fathers are not known, but are not less Nigerian than any of us, who are always not only in handcuffs but are put on the floor in various police stations and paraded even before they are charged to court and we all look at them and turn to the next pictures, it doesn’t attract a commentary.

    “Why should some criminals just be celebrated even when we all can feel the amount of damage, the consequences of their rascality on our collective wellbeing. I think the media should support the President. This is not President Buhari’s fight, and you know he had reminded us that if we don’t kill corruption, it will kill us. Now corruption is fighting back.

    “I read one article and I was shocked with the ease at which he attempted to turn logic upside down. He said that Chief Anthony Anenih has shown  how he shared the money he got from the National Security Adviser that was paid to his bank account unlike other people, he didn’t deny it. Can you deny what they pay to your bank account? If he carried it the way they usually carried money in bullion van, he would have denied it but this time, the policeman in him failed him and the money was paid to his account so he was not at liberty to deny what was documented in a banking transaction.

    “And then, he goes on to say he was not in a position to know that when Jonathan asked him to bring his Bank Account, he was not in a position to know the source of the money that was going to be used. Ok, maybe until he got the money, he wasn’t going to know, alright, as a former Policeman, who left Police Force under very questionable circumstances as an Assistant Commissioner, when the money hit his account, was the name of the payee not stated? When you get alert, don’t you know the source but a former Assistant Commissioner of Police didn’t know the money came from NSA office.

    Oshiomhole said, “So when they say those things and that the country is being ungrateful to him, can you imagine how they insult our collective intelligence and the guy even went on to say Comrade has shut up since he saw how Anenih spent the money and all these are being reported as sources close to EFCC.  Why should his own be based on sources close to EFCC? He should go to EFCC and make that statement on a prescribed form, the way it is done in a Police Station.

    “And it is only when they are in trouble that they tell us they have medical condition. Until now, nobody knew that they had medical condition so even health is been used as an emotional instrument to curry public sympathy. Which is worst, those who are ill now because they are under investigation or those who have died as a result of the crime they committed?

    “So, you see, he agreed in sharing XYZ but he has not published the detail of the remaining fund. He has not disclosed how he spent it. The one they were distributing in Benin, they have not explained because you were aware when dollars and naira were being distributed. So the Edo version is yet to be opened up and it will be opened. So Anenih must be prosecuted like any other suspect, he can’t run away from it.

    Speaking Earlier, the Edo State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalist, Sir Roland Osakwe said they were in government House to present the new Executive Council Members of the Edo State Chapter of the NUJ to the Governor.

    He used the opportunity to thank the Governor for his developmental strides in the state, and for the cordial working relationship that has existed between the Union and the government in the past 7 years and sued for its sustenance.

     

  • Olisa the goat?

    William the Bastard (or more courtly, William the  Conqueror: ruled 1066-1087), was the first Norman king of England.  Though dubbed “illegitimate” because he was sired by the unmarried Robert I, Duke of Normandy, after a liaison with mistress Herleva, it was an age of conquest when what mattered, it appeared, was the muscle of your plundering arm, not necessarily the force of your morals.

    Sure, William did run into some storm on account of his nativity.  But that didn’t stop him from being the first Norman to conquer and rule England.

    There was also Philip the Bastard, product of randy English King Richard I aka Richard the Lion Heart and Lady Falconbridge, when her husband was away on a business trip.  Philip, later integrated into the court of succeeding King John,  was a major character in Shakespeare’s play, King John.

    So, if Bastards could force their way into reckoning in prudish England, why not metaphorical goats in debauched Nigeria, in this era of “goats, yams and barns”, never mind the impassioned cry for “de-goatification”, following ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s best forgotten era of reckless elite sleaze?

    Hardball is just intrigued by the alleged attempt by Olisa Metuh, embattled publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to shred his statement to Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigators — he actually reportedly did — and chew the paper like a starved goat, especially after days of self-imposed hunger strike!

    What was Mr. Metuh trying to do?  To press his inalienable right to impunity, even when accused of a definite crime or two?  Or just to make the snappy point that for consummate (wo)men of power and glory, impunity is forever?

    You would recall the mighty Olisa, at the summit of his pluck as PDP spokesman, dismissed the then emerging All Progressives Congress (APC) coalition as nothing but a deluded band with “Janjaweed” philosophy.  In a deft verbal flourish, Mr. Metuh had likened the new opposition party to Sudan’s Muslim-on-Muslim terror, with its murderous Janjaweed militia.

    But Metuh was not alone in his power triumphalism.  Even, PDP’s national secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo, on hearing of Muhammadu Buhari’s emergence as APC presidential candidate, boasted the general, a mere “army illiterate”, was doomed from start, competing against his erudite principal, Goodluck Jonathan, then sitting president.

    Not to be outdone, Metuh also descended on Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Buhari’s vice-presidential pick, as some nondescript lawyer, not even worth a contemptuous look.  Yet, Osinbajo could likely have taught Metuh’s law teachers the basics of evidence, a branch of law Osinbajo is near-globally renowned.

    But what did it matter!  When power-powered impunity looms, every other thing takes a dive!

    So, having in his glory days contended with, confounded and dusted “betters”, who are these uncircumcised EFCC agents to hold him to account — and shame of shame: ask him to sign some goddamn, god-forsaken confessional statement!

    Besides, after days of hunger strike, didn’t they know it was a time of pang and ire, when even confessional papers become legitimate fare — and proudly so?

    So, for pressing his right to everlasting impunity, shall we hail Olisa the Goat, and help press his democratic right to shred and wolf down evidence papers?

  • Metuh’s continued detention unhealthy for democracy – Ekweremadu

    Metuh’s continued detention unhealthy for democracy – Ekweremadu

    Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, on Friday branded the continued detention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) spokesman, Chief Olisa Metuh, as unhealthy for the nation’s democracy.

    Ekweremadu, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser (Media), Mr. Uche Anichukwu, decried what he termed the “trampling of the opposition and total disregard for the rule of law in the guise of anti-corruption war.”

    He reaffirmed the Peoples Democratic Party’s support for a genuine anti-graft crusade.

    He, however, deplored a situation where such crusade became a calculated attempt to decimate and silence the opposition, while members of the ruling party with serious corruption allegations went about their businesses.

    The deputy senate president expressed fear that Nigeria was fast descending into “authoritarianism.”

    “The continued detention of the PDP mouthpiece was an attempt to gag the opposition and, therefore, unhealthy for democracy.

    “An anti-graft trap that catches only members of the opposition and those with axe to grind with the government of the day is compromised,” the News of Nigeria quoted the deputy senate president as saying in the statement.

    He called on the citizenry to denounce and resist the prevailing situation where people were held in custody against the directives of the courts and laws of the land.

    Ekweremadu pointed out that there would be no justice without the rule of law.

  • Metuh’s medallion

    Apart from significations, words can have implications that word users may not have considered. The National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh, must have thought he was making a point against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), but the point is that he was making a point against his party.

    In a January 2 statement, Metuh said: “It is sad and embarrassing that President Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade has now been reduced to a war between the APC and the PDP as declared by the office of his spokespersons. Since they have confirmed that this is what the anti-corruption crusade is all about, the APC is obviously seeking to destroy the PDP so that it can push through Buhari’s second tenure in 2019 without opposition from the PDP.”

    If the anti-corruption war brings about PDP’s destruction, it would mean that the party is a party of corruption by corruption and for corruption. Of course, such a party shouldn’t survive the anti-corruption crusade. Somehow, Metuh’s anxiety suggests he may know one or two things about corruption in his party, the former ruling party that was popularly ousted in a democratic election last year.

    Metuh may know enough to know that if President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption war is taken to its logical conclusion, his party, the PDP, will be in deep trouble because of deep corruption. In the seven months that have passed since Buhari became president, there has been an escalation of evidence of outrageous official corruption during the Goodluck Jonathan presidential era.

    Metuh also said: “This has also confirmed our concern that this is the reason the Federal Government is persecuting, and not prosecuting, Col. Sambo Dasuki. The APC and its leaders fear that Dasuki, given his vast political and security network, may be harbouring a presidential ambition, more so that the PDP has zoned its presidential ticket to the North.”

    If the former National Security Adviser (NSA) is a possible 2019 PDP presidential aspirant, it is a reflection of the party’s monumental leadership challenge. It would be the ultimate self-exaggeration if Dasuki, who is in the middle of a big mess right now concerning alleged rerouting of anti-terrorism funds, should consider himself worthy of the country’s presidency.

    Also, it is a delusional exaggeration to credit Dasuki with a “vast political and security network” that could favour a presidential ambition. His fruitless, if not fraudulent, tenure as NSA is sufficient to measure his hyped influence.

    Unintentionally, Metuh showed that implications may be far more significant than significations. Should we give him a medallion?