Politics
Alleged N400m fraud: Metuh’s witness indicts Jonathan
A witness called by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, in his trial of alleged N400m fraud, told the court how former President Goodluck Jonathan was involved in the said amount being paid into Metuh’s company’s account.
The witness, DW-1, Mr. Ike Abonyi, a journalist and Media Consultant to the PDP, said the alleged transfer of N400m was paid into the Destra Investment Limited, Metuh’s company on the orders of the former president, before the 2015 general elections.
He stated that the money was paid by the presidency, and not by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) as earlier thought.
Led in evidence by Metuh’s lawyer, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, Abonyi said he was part of the media team engaged to help “repackage the battered image of the PDP,” and that of Jonathan before the elections.
Read also: After 8yrs Court clears EFCC to arraign Kalu over N5.6bn fraud
According to him, the president gave the directive for the money to be paid into the corporate account, after their media team made a presentation on how to launder his image, which did not even go down well with Dr. Reuben Abati, the then media aide to the president, who felt it was an indictment on his office.
He said the team was headed by the Managing Director of a public relations firm, CNC Connect, Mr. Yomi Badejo, and that party members present at the meeting included the then Vice President Namadi Sambo, then Senate President David Mark and former National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Muazu.
Others were former Governors of Cross River and Anambra States, Liyel Imoke and Peter Obi, respectively, as well as media aides to the President, Dr. Abati and Chief Doyin Okupe.
Trial Justice Okon Abang, has fixed April 20 for counsel to Metuh’s firm, Chief Tochukwu Onwugbufo, SAN, to cross-examine the witness.
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