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| Olisa Metuh |
The
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday called two out of the 18
witnesses it lined up against the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples
Democratic Party, Chief Olisa Metuh, with respect to the charges of money
laundering involving the sum of N400m which he allegedly collected from the
Office of the National Security Adviser in November 2014.
The
trial commenced before a Federal High Court in Abuja after the presiding judge,
Justice Okon Abang, overruled a request for an adjournment by Metuh’s lead
counsel, Mr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), who had sought time to enable him and his
team to have access to some documents and prepare better for the defence.
The
ruling by Justice Abang, dismissing the request for adjournment, paved the way
for the prosecution to call its first witness, Nneka Ararume, an employee of
Asset and Resource Management Company Limited, who narrated how Metuh gave her
$2m cash at his house in Prince and Princess Estate, Abuja.
Ararume, who described his position at ARM as Wealth Manager, said she
collected the cash from Metuh on December 2, 2014, with an instruction to
invest the money on behalf of the PDP spokesperson’s company, Destra
Investments Limited.
She said ARM had been managing Destra’s funds before she
joined the financial services company in April, 2013.
Before the trial commenced on Monday, Ikpeazu had informed
the court that his client had “laboured” unsuccessfully to meet the bail
conditions imposed by the court on January 19, and had applied for the
variation of the terms.
The court ruled that the application could not be heard on
Monday since it was only served on the prosecution in the open court on Monday
morning.
Ikpeazu asked for an adjournment of the case on the grounds
that he was only served in court with the prosecution’s additional proof of
evidence containing the statement of the EFCC witness who investigated the
case.
Citing the rights to fair hearing which an accused person was
entitled to under Section 36 of the Constitution, he added that he needed time
to meet with Metuh, whom he said was assumed would have been able to fulfil the
bail conditions by Monday.
Ikpeazu stated that the defence needed time to get some
documents, including the statement of account of the PDP spokesperson.
The lead prosecuting counsel, Mr. Sylvanus Tahir, opposed the
application for an adjournment, insisting that the accused had been given
enough time to prepare for his defence since he had been served with the
charges and other necessary documents since January 14.
The judge agreed with the prosecution but ruled that the
prosecution must not call on Monday the witness whose statement was only served
on the defence in court.
When the trial commenced, Ararume, who said she managed
Destra Investments Limited’s funds with ARM, explained that she proceeded to
change the $2m, which she collected from Metuh, to its naira equivalent through
two bureau de change operators.
Ararume, who was led in evidence by Tahir, said on December
2, 2014, which was about 11 days after N400m was allegedly paid into Destra’s
Diamond Bank account by the Office of the NSA on November 22, 2014, Metuh
invited her to his home at Prince and Princess Estate in Abuja, asking her to
come along with her companies brochure on different types of investments
available.
She said, “Metuh gave me the sum of $2m in $100 bills. It was
taken to bureau de change operators, who would then transfer the money to ARM. From
there (Metuh’s house), I proceeded to Mr. Sie Iyenome’s office at Wuse 2, where
I gave him the sum of $1m.
“I also invited Mr. Kabir Mohammed and I also gave him the
sum of $1m to transfer the naira equivalent in favour of Destra Investment
Limited.
“Later on the same day, December 2, 2014, Mr. Kabir and Mr.
Sie Iyenome confirmed the receipt.”
The defence also sought an adjournment after Ararume
completed her testimony.
But Justice Abang upheld the prosecution’s objection to the
request for an adjournment, which was basically anchored on the same grounds
earlier canvassed by the defence.
Under cross-examination by the defence counsel, Ararume said
Destra, owned by Metuh, had been ARM’s client before she was employed by the
financial services company in April 2013.
The witness answered negative when asked if she knew “how
long it took the defendants to accumulate the money he gave you”.
The EFCC also called Iyenome, one of the bureau de change
operators engaged by Ararume to change $1m out of the total $2m she received
from Metuh to naira.
Iyenome said he never knew Metuh but only got to know of his
company, Destra, on December 2, 2014, when Ararume forwarded the company’s
account details to him for the payment of the naira equivalent of $1m he
received from her.
Under cross-examination, the witness, who said he believed he
was carrying out “a valid transaction”, also told the court that it was the
practice in the foreign exchange business to ask for the purposes which funds,
brought by customers, were meant for.
He said, “Most times the question for the purpose the money
is meant is done verbally, just for due diligence.
“This was a brokering transaction. I’m not the one using the
dollar. Even at that, I asked who was selling and Nneka said it was her client
at ARM, which was as good as a bank was selling to you.”
Under re-examination by the prosecutor, Iyenome confirmed
that there was a limit imposed by law as to how much cash a bureau de change
operator could transact with.
He said, “I am aware of some, I can’t name all of them. I’m
aware that to sell to an individual travelling outside the country, the limit
is $4,000, and for a business, the limit is $5,000.”
Justice Abang adjourned further trial till Tuesday with an
instruction to the prosecution that all the prosecution witnesses must be
present in court.
He fixed Wednesday for the hearing of Metuh’s bail variation
application.
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