Chief Metuh all smiles as he appears in court today
A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered that the national publicity secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh be remanded in Kuje prison.
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The court’s order came after the Metuh’s oral bail was denied. After taking his plea, counsel to the PDP spokesperson, Chris Uche prayed the court to permit him make an oral bail application for his client. But the court denied him that.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) had on Friday, January 15 arraigned Metuh before Justice Okon Abang over allegations of illegally receiving public funds.
Chief Metuh acknowledging cheers from supporters as he makes his way to the courtroom
Abang further adjourned the case to Tuesday, January 19 for hearing on bail application. Metuh was accused of having collected N400 million from former president Goodluck Jonathan.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) had on Friday, January 15 arraigned Metuh before Justice Okon Abang over allegations of illegally receiving public funds.
Chief Metuh acknowledging cheers from supporters as he makes his way to the courtroom
Abang further adjourned the case to Tuesday, January 19 for hearing on bail application. Metuh was accused of having collected N400 million from former president Goodluck Jonathan.
The accused PDP spokesperson who accepted receiving such money from Jonathan has however refused to disclose details of the assignments he did for the former president.
Metuh has been in detention since Tuesday, January 5 and was also reported to have torn and chewed a statement he wrote at the EFCC.
Chief Metuhalongside EFCC and security personnel waiting to get into the elevator to the court room
Earlier this week, Metuh filed a suit through his lawyer before a Federal High Court in Lagos, seeking his immediate release from custody.
In the suit, the spokesman claimed that his arrest was part of a sinister plan of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to silence the opposition.
Meanwhile, EFCC had on Wednesday, January 14, revealed the reason they are yet to release the spokesperson for the opposition party.
According to Rotimi Jacobs, counsel of the anti-graft commission, who spoke with reporters briefly after an Abuja Federal High Court, presided by Justice Abang Okon suspended hearing on Metuh’s case till January 20, “It is not unlawful to detain somebody on the order of the court. There are misinformation everywhere, it’s not done like that. We cannot ignore the law; we cannot do things without due process.
“Under the criminal justice act, you can arrest somebody and go to court to validate it. We have the order.”
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In a related development, PDP lawmakers in the House of Representatives recently ordered the EFCC to release of the party’s spokesman within 48 hours.
According to them, it is “unconstitutional to detain anyone who has not been charged for a crime by a competent court of jurisdiction”.
Credit: Naij.com
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