After four years of trial, the Federal High Court Abuja will on February 25, 2020, determine the fate of the judiciary former spokesman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Olisa Methu and his company Dextra Investment Nigeria limited in the N400M alleged fraud charges brought against him by the Federal Government.
Metuh and the company were in 2015 arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, specifically on the accusation of receiving the sum of N400m from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) without due process and they pleaded not guilty to the charge.
However following the adoption of final written addresses by all parties in the suit on Tuesday, Justice Abang announced that judgment will be handed down on February 25, about four years after the commencement of trial.
In the adoption of final addresses by the parties the prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir urged the court to convict Metuh on grounds that he had led credible evidence against the defendants.
The prosecution called eight witnesses and tendered several documents to support its case against Metuh and his company.
While the defence counsel, Abel Ozioko and Tochukwu Onwugbufo SAN, for the first and second defendants respectively, called 25 witnesses all together and urged the court to discharge and acquit them on the grounds that the prosecution has failed woefully in establishing any case against them.
Metuh in his evidence maintained that the sum of N400M received from former National Security Adviser (NSA) Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd) was for a national assignment as directed by the then president, Goodluck Jonathan.
However, during cross-examination by the prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, the former spokesman told the court that there was never an instance where Jonathan directly gave any money to him.
The defence counsel said the non-calling of former President Jonathan to give evidence was fatal to the case of the prosecution because only his evidence would have shown whether he authorised money or not.
The EFCC is prosecuting Metuh alongside his company, Dextra Investment Limited, on a seven-count charge bordering on money laundering to the tune of Four Hundred Million Naira, which he received from the Office of the National Security Adviser in the build-up to the 2015 general elections.
