The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has asked the Supreme Court to uphold the conviction and sentence of a former spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh, over an alleged money laundering.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja had on December 15, 2020, nullified Metuh’s trial and conviction before a Federal High Court in Abuja presided by Justice Okon Abang for manifestly biased and also ordered a retrial of the case.
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But in a notice of appeal filed before the Supreme Court on January 27, the EFCC argued that the decision of the appellate court was not arrived at on the merit of the conviction.
EFCC requested the apex court to invoke its powers under Section 22 of the Supreme Court Act to consider the entire appeal before the Court of Appeal on its merit and restore the earlier decision of the high court.
The anti-graft agency has also sought an alternative relief to have the case remitted to a different panel of the appellate court from the earlier panel led by Justice Stephen Adah, which considered the appeal initially for a re-hearing.
“We have asked the Supreme Court that the judgment of the high court was fine and so let it be affirmed.
“The case took four years at the high court,” said Sylvanus Tahir, an EFCC lawyer.
Metuh was in 2016 charged alongside his company, Destra Investment Ltd with receiving the sum of N400 million from the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki, which he maintained was used for the presidential campaign publicity of former president, Goodluck Jonathan.
Following the order nullifying his conviction and sentence and for a retrial of the case, Metuh was granted bail from the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS)’s custodial centre in Kuje, FCT by Justice Nkeonye Maha of the Federal High Court.
He is said to be presently receiving treatment in a London hospital.
