The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Tuesday closed its N400 million fraud case against the spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Olisa Metuh.
Metuh was arraigned before Justice Okon Abang of Federal High Court in Abuja.
During his trial Tuesday, a witness of the EFCC, Junaidu Sa’id, told the court how $47 million was withdrawn from the CBN and disbursed to members of the PDP including Metuh for the purpose of the party’s presidential campaign.
Sa’id, an investigative officer with the anti-graft agency, was led in evidence by the prosecuting lawyer, Mr Sylvanus Tahir, who told the court that the commission discovered how the office of the National Security Adviser under Col. Sambo Dasuki’s leadership withdrew $47 million for the purpose of the campaign activities of PDP.
The witness said, “It was at that period that Dasuki withdrew $47 million from the CBN which was shared to members of the party for the presidential convention that the commission traced the $2 million paid to Destra Investment company belonging to Metuh.
“It was four days after the disbursements that Metuh gave the money to his then wealth manager, Nneka Nicole Ararume.”
Under cross-examination by the lawyer to Metuh, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), the witness said that Metuh had written in his statement that the monies he received from the Office of the former NSA was for campaign activities as approved by former President Goodluck Jonathan and for the payment of his personal debt.
He added that about N77.5 million was allegedly paid to one CMC Connect for campaign publicity for the PDP while N25 million was given to Abba Dabo for the same purpose.
He also told the court that the National Women Leader of the PDP Kema Chikwe, got N5 million from the money while the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the PDP Tony Anenih, received N21.7 milllion .
He also told Justice Obong Abang that N500 million was paid in two tranches to a firm, Daniel Ford International by Metuh for the purchase of a landed property at Banana Island in Lagos State.
The witness said that investigations revealed that Dasuki had on November 27, 2014, made N10 billion withdrawal from the CBN and converted it to $47 million which was shared to some PDP members at its national convention.
-Leadership
