$2M FRAUD TRIAL: Court grants Metuh’s plea, orders Jonathan to testify Wednesday

Former president Goodluck Jonathan has been ordered to appear before an Abuja Federal High Court on Wednesday to testify in the fraud trial of former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national publicity secretary, Olisa Metuh.

The development was confirmed Tuesday, when Justice Okon Abang of the Abuja Federal High Court issued the order asking Jonathan to appear and testify in the matter.

Metuh’s lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), had on Monday told Justice Abang that he would seek to subpoena the ex-President as a defence witness in the trial of the former PDP spokesperson.

When the matter resumed on Tuesday, Justice Abang revealed that he received Metuh’s application for a subpoena to be issued on Jonathan at about 3:59 pm on Monday and that he had approved it.

He said, “Indeed, at the close of business yesterday being October 23, 2017 precisely at about 3.59 pm, the registrar forwarded to the court in chamber a subpoena to compel former President Goodluck Jonathan to appear in court to testify a the instance of the first defendant (Metuh).

“Therefore in line with section 241(1) of Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 and having regard to the subsisting judgment of the Court of Appeal in the appeal CA/A/159C/2017, between Olisa Metuh and Federal Republic of Nigeria dated September 29, 2017 to the effect that it will be tantamount to violating the right of the first defendant to fair hearing not to sign the subpoena.

“I have no option other than to sign a subpoena to compel former President Goodluck Jonathan to appear in court on September 25, 2017 (Wednesday)to give evidence at the instance of the first defendant.”

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However, a registrar of the court Tuesday told the judge that the bailiff of the court was yet to serve the subpoena on Jonathan as at Tuesday morning.

Metuh and his company, Destra Investments Limited, are being prosecuted by the Federal Government on seven counts of money laundering bordering on alleged cash transaction of $2 million and fraudulent receipt of N400 million meant for procurement of arms from the Office of the National Security Adviser.

Metuh has maintained that said money paid to him as spokesperson for the PDP from the Office of the former National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki, was directly authorised by Jonathan.

 

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