Metuh loses bid to stop trial

Okon Abang, justice of the federal high court, Abuja, has ruled that Olisa Metuh, spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has a case to answer in the criminal charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He, however, held that it did not imply that Metuh had been pronounced guilty, but that he would have to make his defence.

The judge stated that the PDP spokesman needed to offer an explanation to the evidence brought before the court.

He explained that Metuh needed to offer explanations on how received and disbursed the money given to him by the office of the former national security adviser.

Although, the ruling was briefly interrupted by the collapse of a female journalist at the courtroom, Abang went ahead to finish his ruling.

He dismissed the application for lacking in merit.

The judge had fixed March 9 to rule on a no-case application to dismiss the charges against Metuh.

In a bench ruling On February 25, Abang stated that he would either discharge and acquit Metuh or rule that he open his defence on the adjourned date.

Making his submission, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), counsel to Metuh, had urged the court to discharge and acquit his client because he had no case to answer.

But Tahir Sylvanus, counsel to the EFCC, told the court that he had already filed a “written address”-which he adopted- against the no-case application of Metuh.

On February 18, Metuh took a fresh plea in an amended seven-count charge of money laundering preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He was to make his defence on that day, but Ikpeazu told the court that he had filed a no-case submission, implying that he was innocent and had no case to answer.

The PDP spokesman is facing a seven-count of charge of criminal breach of trust and money laundering to the tune of N400m.

He maintains that he is innocent of the charges, and that he only received the sum of N400m from the office of the former national security adviser to carry out media campaigns for former President Goodluck Jonathan.