
A former National Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic
Party, Chief Olisa Metuh, on Friday told a Federal High Court, Abuja,
presided over by Justice Okon Abang, how he distributed the N400million
he collected from the Office of the National Security Adviser under Col.
Sambo Dasuki (retd.) in 2014.
According to Punch, Metuh revealed that the fund was for “a special national assignment” in the run up to the 2015 general elections.
Metuh is facing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission alongside his company, Destra Investment on seven-count
bordering on money laundering to the tune of N400million.
The ex-PDP spokesman, who spoke under cross-examination by the
prosecution counsel, told the court that there was never an instance
where former President Goodluck Jonathan directly paid any money to him.
He said that the N400mn was for the national assignment as directed
by the then president, a statement by the EFCC spokesman, Wilson
Uwujaren, said on Friday.
Upon being shown the statement of his account which had N6.6mn
before an inflow of N400mn into it on November 24, 2014, Metuh narrated
to the court how he disbursed the money which he said was for a national
assignment.
He said there was an outflow of N7.5mn from the amount through a
cheque to a company, CNC Connect on December 2, 2014, and another
payment of N21.7mn to late Chief Tony Anenih and N50mn to Kanayo/Olisah.
On that same date, he narrated that there was another outflow of
N31.5mn to one Richard Ehidioha, adding that two separate payments of
N200mn and N300mn were made to Daniel Ford International also on
December 4, 2014.
Other subsequent expenditures he said, included payments to CNC
Connect in the sum of N70mn on December 15, 2014; N25mn to Abba Dabo on
December 16, 2014 and N5mn to Mrs Kema Chikwe.
He told the court that a final report he submitted to the then
president had all the expenditures of the said N400 million, captured in
receipts and signatures for all payment of monies in cash and through
several accounts for the special assignment.
He said he had about 19 accounts of which more than five were in
Diamond Bank, adding that he made an investment of $2million dollars in
cash in ARM, through its official, Miss Nneka Ararume.
Justice Abang adjourned the matter to September 30, 2019, for continuation of trial.
0 comments:
Post a Comment