The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC has perfected plans to re-arraign Olisa Metuh, the former National Publicity Secretary of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), over N400 million money laundering charges.
Metuh is expected to appear before Justice Emeka Nwite of Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja.
Prior to the reassignment of the retrial of Metuh on February 15 to Nwite, the case was before another judge, Obiora Egwuatu.
The case was assigned to Egwuatu last year following his transfer to the Abuja division of the high court.
Egwuatu had fixed October 14, 2021, for Metuh’s re-arraignment after the Court of Appeal’s decision which nullified the trial court’s judgment.
But on the adjourned date, the judge was not available to preside over the case, having gone for a judges’ seminar in Lagos State.
The court, therefore, fixed February 15 for the former PDP spokesman’s retrial.
But News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the court where the trial was to take place, showed that the case between the Federal Government and Metuh was not on the cause list.
The case was eventually reassigned to Nwite, who was recently transferred to Abuja division after the retirement of Justice Anwuli Chikere.
Recall that Metuh was sentenced to seven years imprisonment over an allegation that he received the sum of N400 million from the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, prior to the 2015 presidential election, without contract approval or execution.
The conviction followed a seven-count charge that was preferred against him and his firm by the EFCC.
But the Court of Appeal, Abuja had, on December 16, 2020, nullified the Federal High Court judgment that convicted and sentenced him.
In a unanimous decision, a three-man panel of justices of the appellate court held that the judgment of the trial judge, Okon Abang, delivered against Metuh on February 25, 2020, was tainted with bias.
The appellate court held that Abang had by the disparaging remarks he made in the judgment betrayed his premeditated mindset against Metuh whom he accused of writing various petitions against him.
According to Justice Stephen Adah who delivered the lead verdict of the appellate court, he said, allowing the trial court’s verdict to stand “will set a dangerous precedent.”
Consequently, it voided the conviction and sentence that was handed to Metuh and his firm, Destra Investment Limited, and remitted the case file back to the high court for a re-trial by another judge.