- Olisa Metuh has tendered account records of spending on the N400 million for which he is standing trial for
- The records were presented before a Federal High Court Abuja and admitted by Justice Okon Abang as exhibit
- Metuh said the N400 million released and collected by him was exclusively used for the presidential special national assignment
The former national publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh has tendered records of account of spending of the N400 million for which he is being tried for before a Federal High Court in Abuja.
Metuh on Tuesday, April 9, at the resumed trial, presented the record admitted by Justice Okon Abang as Exhibit D20.
The former PDP spokesperson had testified that the N400 million was paid to him by former President Goodluck Jonathan for a special national assignment, which he disbursed under the directives of the former president.
He also tendered before the court records of the account with receipts of payments to him.
Led in evidence in chief by his counsel, Abel Ozioko, the former PDP national publicity secretary confirmed that no part of the N400 million was used for the campaign activities of the party.
He said all funds released and collected by him was exclusively used for the presidential special national assignment.
The record of account tendered by Metuh contains details of the disbursements and signatures of those who received funds in the execution of the said special national assignment.
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Metuh explained that he reconciled the accounts with the late special adviser to former President Jonathan, Oronto Douglas, after which two documents were tendered to Jonathan.
He said that one of the documents contained the details of the programmes executed while the other contained the details and receipts of payments for the for the project.
He further informed the court that he had no dealings whatsoever with the aide of the former Vice President, Mallam Abba Dabo, on the special national assignment.
He explained that the N25 million he paid to Mallam Abba Dabo, who had earlier testified in the case as PW 7, was from the PDP for PDP activities and not from the N400 million as Abba Dabo did not carry out any role in the special national assignment and was never assigned any role in the project.
“All the dealings I had with Abba Dabo had nothing to do with the special national assignment; nothing about Abba Dabo was contained in the record of account submitted to the former President and there is no record of payment made to Abba Dabo in the special national assignment," Metuh said.
He recalled that he had previously testified in court that as National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, he usually makes payment from his personal resources for party activities after which he gets refunds from the party.
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Metuh drew the attention of the court to exhibit D11, a memo dated December 23, 2014, and tendered by the Head of PDP Publicity Directorate, Chinwe Nnorom, wherein the party administration reflected a refund of N25 million to Metuh for the fund he paid to Mallam Abba Dabo for a project he carried out for the party.
The first defendant therefore expressed shock that Abba Dabo did not ask him about the source of the N25 million refunded him by the party before refunding same to the EFCC.
Metuh also told the court that all advertorials programmed by PW 5, Yomi Badejo, which had the logo of the PDP were all paid for by the PDP as also indicated by the Exhibit D11, contrary to claims that the were paid for from the N400 million. He also averred that the PW 5 made a refund of N25 million.
The matter was adjourned to Wednesday, April 10 for continuation of trial.
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Metuh had lamented that since the assumption of his trial at the Federal High Court three years ago, his counsels, Onyechi Ikpeazu and Emeka Etiaba, have been under undue pressure and intimidation on account of the conduct of this case.
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He said despite the intimidation, the lawyers have remained steadfast on his innocence and have gone to considerable personal costs in the conduct of the matter before the court.
The PDP chieftain however, noted that his decision to change the counsel came on the heels of threat to their (lawyers) personal lives and freedom.
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Source: Legit.ng
