A former National Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party, Chief Olisa Metuh, on Friday told a Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over by Justice Okon Abang, how he distributed the ₦400million he collected from the Office of the National Security Adviser under Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.) in 2014.
He stated that the fund was for “a special national assignment” in the run-up to the 2015 general elections.
Chief Olisa Metuh is facing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission alongside his company, Destra Investment on seven-count bordering on money laundering to the tune of ₦400million.
The ex-PDP spokesman, who spoke under cross-examination by the prosecution counsel, told the court that there was never an instance where former President Goodluck Jonathan directly paid any money to him.
He said that the ₦400mn was for the national assignment as directed by the then president, a statement by the EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said on Friday.
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Upon being shown the statement of his account which had ₦6.6mn before an inflow of N400mn into it on November 24, 2014, Metuh narrated to the court how he disbursed the money which he said was for a national assignment.
He said there was an outflow of ₦7.5mn from the amount through a cheque to a company, CNC Connect on December 2, 2014, and another payment of ₦21.7mn to late Chief Tony Anenih and ₦50mn to Kanayo/Olisah.
On that same date, he narrated that there was another outflow of ₦31.5mn to one Richard Ehidioha, adding that two separate payments of ₦200mn and ₦300mn were made to Daniel Ford International also on December 4, 2014.
Other subsequent expenditures he said, included payments to CNC Connect in the sum of ₦70mn on December 15, 2014; ₦25mn to Abba Dabo on December 16, 2014, and ₦5mn to Mrs. Kema Chikwe.
He told the court that a final report he submitted to the then president had all the expenditures of the said ₦400 million, captured in receipts and signatures for all payment of monies in cash and through several accounts for the special assignment.
He said he had about 19 accounts of which more than five were in Diamond Bank, adding that he made an investment of $2million dollars in cash in ARM, through its official, Miss Nneka Ararume.
Justice Abang adjourned the matter to September 30, 2019, for continuation of trial. (Punch)
