Former President Goodluck Jonathan
Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday
confirmed that he had signed a subpoena compelling former President
Goodluck Jonathan to appear in court on Wednesday to testify in defence
of a former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic
Party, Olisa Metuh.
A report by Punch revealed that the judge confirmed this on Tuesday
during the resumed trial of Metuh and his company, Destra Investments
Limited, on seven counts of money laundering involving alleged cash
transaction of $2m and fraudulent receipt of N400m meant for procurement
of arms from the Office of the National Security Adviser.
Confirming the summons on Jonathan on Tuesday, Justice Abang said
he received Metuh’s application for a subpoena to be issued on Jonathan
at about 3.59pm on Monday.
The judge said, “Indeed, at the close of business yesterday
being October 23, 2017 precisely at about 3.59pm, the registrar
forwarded to the court in chamber a subpoena to compel former President
Goodluck Jonathan to appear in court to testify a the instance of the
first defendant (Metuh).
“Therefore in line with section 241(1) of Administration of
Criminal Justice Act 2015 and having regard to the subsisting judgment
of the Court of Appeal in the appeal CA/A/159C/2017, between Olisa Metuh
and Federal Republic of Nigeria dated September 29, 2017 to the effect
that it will be tantamount to violating the right of the first defendant
to fair hearing not to sign the subpoena.
“I have no option other than to sign sign a subpoena to compel
to former President Goodluck Jonathan to appear in court on September
25, 2017 (Wednesday)to give evidence at the instance of the first
defendant.”
Metuh is facing trial for allegedly receiving N400 million out of
the $2.1 billion dollars arms fund from the former National Security
Adviser to Doctor Jonathan, Colonel Sambo Dasuki
Metuh’s lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu had earlier told the court that he
would subpoena the former President as his defence witness during a
session at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday.
Ikpeazu said further that a letter has already been written to the former President Jonathan but he was yet to respond.
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