The trial of the Spokesperson of the People’s
Democratic Party, PDP, Olisa Metuh and his company, Destra Investments Limited
commenced on Monday, January 25, 2016, before Justice O.E Abang of the Federal
High Court sitting in Abuja with the prosecution, EFCC, presenting two
witnesses.
Metuh who is still being held in Kuje prison
custody for failure to perfect his bail conditions had, before the commencement
of his trial today prayed the court for bail variation through his counsel,
Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN.
“We have a pending application seeking a
variation on the bail conditions earlier granted the defendant. We have
made honest effort to fulfill the conditions but have not been able to. The
defendant being in custody would not have the opportunity to avail us the
necessary documents for his defence. We urge your Lordship to give consideration
to our prayer”, Ikpeazu pleaded.
“Besides, we are just served with an additional
proof of evidence by the prosecution and we have not gone through it with the
defendant, so I urge the court to adjourn the trial to enable the defendant get
his personal documents”, he further urged.
Responding, counsel to EFCC, Sylvanus Tahir,
told the court that he was only served with the application few minutes before
the court session started.
In his opposition to the application, Tahir told
the court that, “the business of the day is to commence trial on this matter,
so to hear this application will be a distraction to the court”.
He urged the court to fix a later day for the
hearing on the application and ordered the trial to commence as the witnesses
were already in court to testify.
Justice Abang, after listening to the arguments
of both counsels, adjourned the hearing on the application to January 27, 2016
and ordered the trial to commence as scheduled.
The judge however added that, the prosecution
would only be allowed to present only the witnesses whose statement and proof
of evidence had earlier been served on the defence.
The first prosecution witness (PW1), Nneka
Ararume, a staff of Asset Resources Managemnet, ARM while being led in evidence
by Tahir, told the court that, she was given the sum of $2million (two million
dollars) in cash by Metuh to change through a Bureau De Change operator and was
asked to pay the naira equivalent into Destra Investment Limited bank account.
Thereafter, Metuh’s counsel, Ikpeazu, SAN, prayed
the court to adjourn to a later date for cross-examination to enable him get
the necessary document in respect of the claim.
This application was vehemently objected to by
the prosecution counsel.
In a bench ruling, Justice Abang refused the
prayer of the defence, stating that there is no sufficient material before the
court to oblige the defence of their request.
He ordered the defence to cross-examine the
witness immediately.
Answering questions during cross-examination,
Ararume maintained that, the transaction was conducted on trust and that she
had no idea of how long it took the defendant to gather the said sum.
Also testifying, the second prosecution witness
(PW2), Sie Iyenome, a Bureau De Change operator, told the court that, he was
contacted by PW1 to buy the sum of $1million (one million dollar).
According to Iyenome, the transaction was done
through Capital Field Investment and Trustees and the naira equivalent totaling
N183m (one hundred and eighty three million naira) was paid into Destra
Investment Limited bank account as agreed.
Under cross-examination, the PW2 stated that the
transaction was legal and that, it was carried out with due diligence.
Justice Abang, thereafter, adjourned the matter
to January 26, 2015 for continuation of trial.
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