Metuh appears in court in wheelchair, seeks leave for treatment in UK

Former PDP national publicity secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, on Wednesday arrived court in a wheelchair to continue his ongoing alleged corruption trial presided over by Justice Okon Abang of the Abuja Federal High Court.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had preferred a seven-count charge against Metuh and his firm, Destra Investment Limited over alleged reception of N400million before the 2015 presidential election from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), without executing any contract.

The last time the court sat on the matter on February 9, Metuh was brought to court in an ambulance, and on a stretcher. Justice Abang had earlier threatened to revoke his bail and send him back to prison should he fail to appear for his trial.

The threat by Abang was in response to Metuh’s absence in court on two successive dates, at which periods his lawyers tendered reports before the court showing that he was hospitalized at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital in Enugu where he was referred to Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital Nnewi.

When proceedings in the matter resumed on Wednesday, counsel to Metuh, Mr. Emeka Etiaba (SAN), applied to the court to allow the defendant travel to the United Kingdom for medical treatment.

Mr. Etiaba told the court that his client’s health had continued to worsen in the past two months, and that there was urgent need for him to get medical attention from his doctors in London.

He then tendered as exhibit, a letter from one Dr. Adrian T. H. Kasey, a Neurosurgeon at Wellington Hospital in London, which he said emphasized the need for Metuh to be treated urgently.

READ ALSO: BENUE: CAN reveals count of churches burnt, people displaced by herdsmen

In his response, Justice Abang demanded that both the prosecution and defence lawyers address him on whether the court could grant Metuh’s request understanding that he previously dismissed two similar applications on May 25, 2016 and on February, 2017.

Justice Abang further pointed out that that Metuh was yet to appeal both rulings, adding that issues Metuh raised in his present application dated February 23, were the same thing he relied on in the two sacked applications.

 

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

 

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