The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has closed its case against the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, Thisday reports.
The case was closed after the eighth prosecution witness, Mr. Junaid Said, an investigative officer with the EFCC described before the court how Metuh destroyed his statement during investigation by the anti-graft agency.
The witness said Metuh tore the statement after he had written that the monies he received from the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) was for campaign activities as approved by former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, and for the payment of his personal debt.
Said told the court that out of the N400 million that was fraudulently transferred to Metuh and his company by the former NSA, the accused person kept N50 million for himself.
He added that about N77.5 million was allegedly paid to one CMC Connect for campaign publicity for the PDP while N25 million was given to one Abba Dabo for the same purpose.
The witness also told the court that the National Women Leader of the PDP, Kema Chikwe got N5 million from the said money, while the chairman Board of Trustees (BoT) of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, received the sum of N21.7 million.
He also told Justice Obong Abang that the sum of N500million was paid in two tranches to a company, Daniel Ford International, by Metuh for the purchase of a landed property at Banana Island in Lagos State.
Under cross examination, however, the witness told the court that investigation revealed that the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd), had on November 27, 2014, made a N10 billion withdrawal from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and converted same to $47 million which was shared to PDP members at its national convention .
According to him, the $2million allegedly laundered by the PDP spokesperson was strongly linked to the said withdrawal because it was four days after the disbursement that Metuh gave the money to his then wealth manager Nneka Ararume.
But when asked if there was any documentary evidence to substantiate his testimony, the witness answered in the negative.
Metuh is expected to open his case on February 18, 2016.
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Abner Zaman Yuyu
May 18, 2017 at 6:31 am
Please lead by example.