Appeal Court Dismisses Metuh’s ‘No-Case’ Submission

OLISA METUHThe Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal on Wednesday ruled that erstwhile spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh and his company, Destra Investment Limited, must answer to charges of money laundering leveled against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The ruling was sequel to an appeal filed by counsels to Metuh and Destra, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) and Tochukwu Onwugbufor (SAN) respectively, challenging the March 9 ruling of Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, that the prosecution has established a prima facie case against the PDP chieftain and his company, requiring them to enter defense.
Rather than open defence, Metuh and his company chose to make a no-case submission, which Justice Abang rejected in the March 9 ruling.
The PDP chieftain and Destra Investment Limited are standing trial on seven count charges of money laundering and alleged unlawful receipt of N400million from the Office of the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.
A three-man bench of the Court of Appeal, which upheld the objections raised to the two appeals by Metuh and his company, dismissed the appeals having also considered them on merit.
Justice Abdul Aboki, who led the three-man panel, read the lead judgments in both appeals, which Justices T. Y. Hassan and M. Mustapher (other members of the panel) concurred with.