The Federal High Court sitting Abuja has granted bail to the embattled
National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr.
Olisa Metuh, to the tune of N400million.
In a bench ruling this afternoon, trial Justice Okon Abang ordered Metuh
to produce two sureties who must deposit the sum of N200m each.
The court maintained that the sureties must not only be residents in
Abuja, but also owners of landed ıproperties within the Maitama district
of the FCT.
ıThey are to submit the Certificate of Occupancy of the properties to the
Chief Registrar of the court for verification, as well as submit their
three years tax clearance.
According to the court, the sureties ımust swear to an affidavit of means
and also submit two recent passport photographs.
More so, Justice Abang ordered Metuh to surrender his international
passport to the Chief Registrar of the high court.
ıThe PDP spokesman who was remanded in Kuje Prison last Friday, was
brought to court this morning in handcuffs.ı
He was brought to court in a prison bus with registration No. PS-682-AO.
Metuh is answering to a seven-count criminal charge that was preferred
against him by the ıEconomic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.ı
ıHe is facing trial alongside his firm, ıDestra Investment Limited, ıover
alleged N400m fraud.ı
The charge marked ıFHC/ABJ/CR/05/2016, was signed by the Assistant
Director, Legal & Prosecution Department of the EFCC, Mr. Sylvanus Tahir.ı
ı
The charge against Metuh borders on alleged money laundering, breach of
trust and criminal diversion of public funds.
ı
ıSpecifically, EFCC, alleged that Metuh had in November, 2014, collected
the sum of N400m from the erstwhile National Security Adviser, NSA, Col.
Sambo Dasuki, rtd.
The fund which was withdrawn from an account the Office of the NSA
operated with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, was allegedly transferred
to Metuh through account no. 0040437573, which Destra Investments Limited
operated with Diamond Bank Plc.
ı
EFCC insisted that whereas the fund was earmarked for campaign activities
of the PDP, it said that Metuh diverted most of it to his personal use.
ıIt alleged that Metuh converted ıpart of the money to one Million US
Dollars which he used for his personal business.ı
ı
Besides, Metuh was alleged to have transferred the sum of N21.7m to
another chieftain of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih.ı
The court had earlier ıfixed January 25 to commence full-blown hearing on
the matter.ı