From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
NATIONAL Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, yesterday told a Federal High Court in Abuja that his trial before the court over money laundering charges was politically motivated.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had on January 15, 2016 arraigned Metuh and his firm, Destra Investments Limited, before Justice Okon Abang on seven-count of money laundering involving $2 million cash transaction.
But Metuh, through his witness, Mr. Ike Abonye, told the court during cross-examination by counsel to the second defendant that Metuh’s ordeals were as a result of his role as the spokesman for the Party.
According to him, “a lot us committed members of the PDP, believed that Metuh got into trouble because of the role he played as the spokesman for the opposition party.
“There had been apprehension even before he was arrested in January this year to the extent that he called a press conference to tell the world that the ruling party could come for him any day.”
The counsel maintained that former President Goodluck Jonathan who doubled as president and leader of the party paid Metuh to launder his image and that of the party in the build up to the 2015 general elections.
Earlier, counsel to Destra Investments Limited had brought an application challenging the jurisdiction of the court.
In a motion dated April 13, 2016 and filed on April 14, Metuh hinged his prayers on Section 396(2) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.