Court remands Metuh in Kuje prison

A federal high court in Abuja has remanded Olisa Metuh, spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Kuje prison.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which had earlier arrested Metuh, arraigned him on a seven-count charge but Metuh pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Ifedayo Adedipe, Metuh’s counsel, filed an oral application for bail but the prosecuting counsel opposed the application.

In his ruling, Okon Abang, the presiding judge, ordered that the application be properly filed so that the EFCC could respond before it would be entertained.

Abang directed that the PDP spokesman be transferred to the prison from EFCC custody.

The case has been adjourned to January 19.

Below are the charges filed against Metuh:

“That you Olisa Metuh and Destra Investment Limited, on or about 24th November 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.

“That you Olisa Metuh and Destra Investment Limited, on or about 24th November, 2014 in Abuja, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable court converted the sum of N400, 000 00: 00 (Four Hundred Million Naira only) which sum was received from the office of the National Security Adviser with the Central Bank of Nigeria without contract award, which you claimed to have received for political activities of the People Democratic Party when you reasonably ought to have known that the said funds form part of the proceeds of an illegal activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (Rtd.) the then National Security Adviser, (To wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011, as amended in 2012 and punishable under section 15(3) of the same Act.

“That you Olisa Metuh and Destra Investment Limited on, or about the 24th November, 2014 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court, did retain the sum of N400, 000 000: 00 (Four Hundred Million naira only), on behalf of the Peoples Democratic Party for its campaign by concealing the said sum in your account, with Diamond Bank Plc, when you reasonably ought to have known that the said funds form part of the proceeds of an illegal activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (Rtd.) the then National security adviser, (To wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 17(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011, as amended in 2012 and punishable under section 17(b) of the same act.

“That you Olisa Metuh and Destra Investments Limited, sometime between November 2014 and March 2015, in Abuja, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable court, having reason to know that an aggregate sum of N400 000 000:00 (Four Hundred Million Naira only) directly represented the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col. Sambo Dasuki (Rtd), the then National Security Adviser, (to: with criminal breach of trust and corruption) in respect to the same amount, used the said fund for the campaign activities of the Peoples Democratic Party and other personal purposes 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) and (4) of the same act”.
Counts five to seven accuse Mr. Anenih and others of being part of the alleged fraud.

“That you Olisa Metuh and Destra Investments Limited, on or before the 22nd of December 2014 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did make a cash payment through your agent, one Nneka Nicole Ararume to one Kabiru Ibrahim; a none Financial institution to the tune of $1, 000 000:00 USD, (One million United States Dollars) only, and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011, as amended in 2012 and punishable under section 16(2)(b) of the same Act”.

“That you Olisa Metuh and Destra Investments Limited, on or before the 22nd of December 2014 in Abuja, within the Jurisdiction of this honourable court did make a cash payment through your agent, one Nneka Nicole Ararume to one Sie Iyenome of Capital Field Investment, to the tune of $1, 000 000:00 USD, (One million United States Dollars) only, and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011, as amended in 2012 and punishable under section 16(2)b of the same Act.

“That you Olisa Metuh and Destra Investments Limited on or about the 4th of December 2014, in Abuja, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable court did transfer the sum of N21, 776, 000:00 (Twenty-One Million, Seven Hundred and Seventy-Six Thousand Naira) being part of the N400, 000 000:00 (Four Hundred million Naira) which directly represented the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (Rtd.) the then National Security Adviser, (to: with criminal breach of trust and corruption) to Chief Anthony Anenih and thereby committed an offence, contrary to section 15(2) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under section 15(3) of the same Act.”