A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Friday remanded People’s Democratic Party's (PDP) National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, in Kuje Prison pending hearing of his bail application.
Metu's lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), had made an oral bail application to the court. This was dismissed by Justice Okon Abang who ruled that the oral application did not disclose sufficient evidence as stipulated by the law.
The judge said that the defendant failed to provide sufficient evidence as required under Section 162 (a) and (b) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).
Metuh and his company, Destra Investment Limited have been arraigned on a seven-count charge of allegedly receiving stolen N400 million from ex-National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.
The charge read: “That you, Olisa Metuh and Destra Investment Limited on or about the 24th November, 2014 in Abuja took possession of the sum of N400m paid into the account of Destra Investment Limited with Diamond Bank Plc., Account No: 0040437573.
“From the account of the office of the National Security Adviser with the Central Bank of Nigeria without contract award when you reasonably ought to have known that the said fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki.
“ The then National Security Adviser (To Wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act”.
“That you, Olisa Metuh and Destra Investment Limited on or about the 24th November, 2014 in Abuja converted the sum of N400m paid into the account of Destra Investment Limited with Diamond Bank Plc., Account No: 0040437573.
“From the account of the office of the National Security Adviser with the Central Bank of Nigeria without contract award when you reasonably ought to have known that the said fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki.
“The then National Security Adviser (To Wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2), (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act”.
The PDP spokesman, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The case was adjourned till Jan. 19, for hearing of the formal application for bail.
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