Metuh’s application dismissed, ordered to open defence April 11

The application brought by the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Olisa Metuh, asking Justice Okon Abang to disqualify himself from continuing with his money laundering case has been rejected by the judge.

Justice Okon Abang, of a Federal High Court, Abuja, also ordered Metuh to open his defence in the money laundering charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on April 11.

Aside asking the judge to disqualify himself, Metuh had sought an indefinite adjournment pending when the Court of Appeal would hear and determine his appeal against the court’s ruling dismissing his no-case submission and his motion for stay of proceedings of his trial.

The PDP spokesman and his company, Dextra, were arraigned before Justice Abang on seven counts of money laundering including $2m cash transaction.

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Ruling on the applications, the judge said Metuh and his firm were no longer entitled to any further adjournment having exhausted the five times such request could be granted to them under section 396(5) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.

According to the judge, the defence had been granted adjournments on February 4, 9, March 9, 17 and 24 since the prosecution closed it’s case.

The judge however ‎adjourned the case “at the instance of the court” to enable him to attend to other cases on the list.

On the application to disqualify himself, Justice Abang dismissed the application for lacking in merit after entertaining arguments in support of it by the PDP spokesperson’s lawyer, Mr. Emeka Etiaba (SAN), and against it by the counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Sylvanus Tahir.

Abang said: “It is my considered view that the application lacks merit and it is hereby dismissed.

“The honourable Chief Judge has said he was satisfied with my explanation to the petition,” he ruled.

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