Court fixes Feb. 25 for judgment in Metuh’s money laundering case

A former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh will know his fate on the 25th of February, 2020 in the money laundering charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, presided over by Justice Okon Abang fixed the date on Tuesday after almost four years that the case began.

The EFCC is accusing Metuh of receiving N400 million fraudulently from the office of National Security Adviser in 2015.

Justice Okon Abang fixed the date for judgment after the prosecution and defence lawyers made their closing arguments on Wednesday.

READ ALSO: Hate speech, root cause of violence in Nigeria, Sen Abdullahi says

According to the EFCC charge, Metuh and his company both fraudulently took the N400m “when they reasonably ought to know” that the money was part of the proceeds of alleged criminal activity of the then NSA, Sambo Dasuki.

He was also accused of transacting with a cash of $2m without going through a financial institution in violation of a provision of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.

Metuh and his company pleaded not guilty to all the seven counts upon their arraignment before the court in January 2016.

The defence lawyers, comprising of Mr. Abel Ozioko, who appeared for Metuh and Mr. Tochukwu Onwugbufor (SAN), prayed the court to discharge and acquit their clients on the grounds that the prosecution failed to prove the alleged offences.

The prosecution, led by Mr. Sylvanus Tahir, however maintained that his team had proved all the offences charged beyond reasonable doubt, calling on the judge to pass a guilty verdict on the defendants.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now