Heavy blow for EFCC, as court dismisses fresh N400m laundering charge against Olisa Metuh, firm

A Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday struck out the seven-count money laundering charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh, and his firm, Destra Investment Limited.

In a ruling, Justice Emeka Nwite held that it was of no use keeping the charge in his court’s docket when both the prosecution and defendants had appeals pending at the Supreme Court.

Justice Nwite, who described the retention of the charge as “an abuse of court process,” held that there was no way the case could return to his court without the Supreme Court first deciding the appeals by parties in the charge.

The ruling was on arguments by lawyers to the EFCC, Metuh and Destra.

At the mention of the case yesterday, Justice Nwite asked EFCC’s lawyer, Olanrewaju Adeola, about the status of the case.

Adeola said the defendants – Metuh and Destra – had been convicted by the Federal High Court but which the conviction was overturned by the Court of Appeal following the defendants’ appeals.

The lawyer said the prosecution had filed an appeal at the Supreme Court against the Court of Appeal’s decision.

He added: “We understand that the matter was listed this morning at the instance of the defendants for an application for the release of the first defendant’s international passport.”

Lawyer to Metuh, Afam Osigwe (SAN), who claimed that his client learnt via the socio media about yesterday’s hearing, said he had a prior discussion with the EFCC lawyer on the status of the case “because there is a pending appeal at the Supreme Court …between the Federal Government versus Olisa Metuh and another”.Nation