Court Grants Metuh Fresh N600m Bail

A Federal Capital Territory High Court
in Maitama, Abuja, on Friday granted
bail to the National Publicity
Secretary of the Peoples Democratic
Party, Chief Olisa Metuh, in the sum
of N300m with two sureties in like
sum.
The total bail sum is N600m.
Metuh is already on remand in Kuje
Prison by an order of a Federal High
Court in Abuja with respect to
charges of money laundering
involving N400m, part of money
meant for procurement of arms,
which he collected from the Office of
the National Security Adviser in
November 2014.
Justice Ishaq Bello, before whom
Metuh was on Thursday arraigned on
two counts of destruction of evidence
while in the custody of the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission for
investigation into the money
laundering case, granted fresh bail to
the PDP spokesperson on Friday.
The judge ordered that the residences
of the two sureties to be presented by
the accused should be verified by
filing of documents in that respect
before the court.
The application for bail was not
opposed by EFCC’s prosecuting
counsel, Mr. Sylvanus Tahir.
While arguing the bail application
orally on Friday, Metuh’s lawyer, Mr.
Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), anchored the
application on provisions of sections
158 and 162 of the Administration of
Criminal Justice Act, 2015 as well as
sections 35 and 36 of the Constitution.
The judge in his ruling agreed with
the defence that the offences the
accused was charged with were
bailable and he was presumed
innocent until proved guilty.
Metuh who was produced in court by
prison officials on Friday is still in the
process of fulfilling the N400m bail
granted him by Justice Okon Abang of
a Federal High Court in Abuja on
Tuesday.