The former Publicity Secretary of the Peoples
Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh has disclosed that
talks have begun between his legal team and
officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission to facilitate his return of N400million
traced to him from defence funds. The funds which
were primarily meant to fight Boko Haram
insurgents were shared to party officials by former
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan through the
office of the Nation Security Adviser. Mr. Olisah
through his lawyer Onyechi Ikpeazu has issued a
statement again reasserting his intention to return
the funds in its entirety to signify his support for
President Muhammadu Buhari's anti-corruption war.
Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh has disclosed that
talks have begun between his legal team and
officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission to facilitate his return of N400million
traced to him from defence funds. The funds which
were primarily meant to fight Boko Haram
insurgents were shared to party officials by former
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan through the
office of the Nation Security Adviser. Mr. Olisah
through his lawyer Onyechi Ikpeazu has issued a
statement again reasserting his intention to return
the funds in its entirety to signify his support for
President Muhammadu Buhari's anti-corruption war.
Metuh is currently undergoing trial for money
laundering at a Federal High Court in Abuja.
See his full statement below:
Why Our Client (Chief Olisa Metuh) is Offering To
Refund The N400 million – Counsel
In the light of the circumstances regarding the case
of our client, Chief Olisa Metuh with the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), we want
to explain the reasons for our client's proposal to
refund the N400 million released to him by former
President Goodluck Jonathan, and which was
expended on a project approved by the ex-President
on national issues relating to his Presidency and the
Federal Government at that time.
1. We want to restate that at the time the money
was released to him after his presentation to the ex-
President, our client had no knowledge of the
source, a fact that is now obvious from the evidence
of the prosecution and defence witnesses. Our client
had every cause to believe that the money was from
the ex-President to whom he made a presentation,
received directives and rendered report and accounts
accordingly.
2. When the matter first came up, and Chief Metuh
was invited to the Office of the National Security
Adviser (ONSA) in December 2015, he requested to
know the source of the money and expressed his
readiness to make refunds if it was from government
coffers, not minding that the money had been
expended as directed by the former President.
Officials at ONSA never got back to him as they
promised, until his arrest by the EFCC in January
2016.
3. It was however while in court that a document
was brought regarding the source of the money and
since then, our Client has made manifest his
willingness to refund the money and has indeed
approached his family, friends and associates to
mobilise funds to refund the entire N400 million to
the government regardless of the fact that the
money had been expended based on the directives
of the former President and that part of the money
had been recovered from one of the prosecution
witnesses.
4. We want to confirm that since then, we have been
in talks with the Ministry of Justice, the EFCC and
other necessary bodies on how to refund the money
and resolve the issue.
5. Our client occupied no government office. His
commitment and dedication to his official duties
have been confirmed by even prosecution witnesses.
In this whole saga, he has been an unfortunate
victim of circumstances. His refunding the money,
therefore, goes to show his support for the anti-
corruption war as well as serve as a testament to
his sincerity, integrity and honesty in this matter.
6. There is no doubt that the prosecution has
considerably embarked on some expenses in the
course of this case. It is hoped that by not
discounting the sum already recovered, whatever
cost so far incurred would have been defrayed. By
this, a critical objective of recovery of funds would
no doubt be achieved.
7. It is pertinent to restate our client's continued
support for the anti-corruption campaign, which is
necessary to ensure probity in the affairs of Nigeria
to the extent that it is conducted within the rule of
law.
8. Finally, it is our client's prayer that this nation
shall come through this difficult time by the grace of
the Almighty God.
Signed:
Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN)
Counsel To Chief Olisa Metuh
http://saharareporters.com/2016/06/30/former-
pdp-publicity-secretary-olisa-metuh-has-offered-
return-n400m-he-received-ex-nsa
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