BREAKING: Appeal Court nullifies ex-PDP Spokesperson Olisa Metuh’s imprisonment
In its ruling on Thursday, the court held that Okon Abang, judge of a Federal High Court in Abuja, exhibited bias in the case of the former PDP spokesman.
The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday, has nullified the seven-year jail sentence handed down to Olisa Metuh, former spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In its ruling on Thursday, the court held that Okon Abang, judge of a Federal High Court in Abuja, exhibited bias in the case of the former PDP spokesman.
In a unanimous decision, a three-man panel of Justices of the appellate court, held that the judgement trial Justice Okon Abang delivered against Metuh on February 25, was tainted with bias.
The appellate court held that the trial Judge had by disparaging remarks he made in the judgement, betrayed his premeditated mindset against the Defendant whom he accused of writing various petitions against him.
According to Justice Stephen Adah who delivered the lead verdict of the appellate court, allowing the trial court’s verdict to stand “will set a dangerous precedent”.
Consequently, it voided the conviction and sentence that was handed to Metuh and his firm, Destra Investment Limited, and remitted the case file back to the high court for a re-trial by another Judge.
He directed that the case file be sent back to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for reassignment to another judge other than Justice Abang.
It will be recalled that Metuh was jailed over the allegation that he received the sum of N400million from the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, retd, prior to the 2015 presidential election, without contract approval or execution.
His earlier conviction followed a seven-count charge that was preferred against him and his firm by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
On February 25, 2020, the trial court pronounced him guilty on all counts of money laundering and sentenced him to seven years in prison.
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