The
immediate past National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic
Party, Mr. Olisa Metuh’s lead defence counsel, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu
(SAN), has said his client has told the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission that he is willing to return the N400m he allegedly received
from the Office of the National Security Adviser in November, 2014.
Metuh is currently being prosecuted by
the EFCC for allegedly receiving the money, which the prosecution
alleged was collected from the $2.1bn arms funds allegedly diverted by
the former NSA’s office to other purposes aside from buying arms to
fight insurgency.
The money was said to have been released
to him to launder the alleged bad image of former President Goodluck
Jonathan a few months to the 2015 presidential election which Jonathan
eventually lost.
Metuh lost his bid at the FCT High Court to secure his passport to enable him to travel abroad for a check-up.
Ikpeazu, in a telephone interview on
Thursday, said Metuh had always indicated to the EFCC that he was
willing to return the money right from when the anti-graft agency
invited him for questioning before charges were filed against him.
The lawyer said he advised Metuh after
his trial began before a Federal High Court in Abuja to write a letter
to the EFCC, indicating his intention to return the N400m, which he
stated the former PDP spokesperson heeded.
He insisted that Metuh initially thought
the money came from former President Goodluck Jonathan but readily
indicated to return the money as soon as the EFCC made him to realise
the money was from the ONSA.
Credit: Punch
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