Money laundering: Metuh gets N250m bail, leaves prison

THE Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday granted bail to a former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh, in the sum of N250m.

Justice Nkeonye Maha gave the order in a ruling on Metuh’s bail application, which was earlier filed on December 21, 2020 by his team of lawyers led by Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN).

Metuh was serving a seven-year jail term imposed on him after he was convicted for money laundering in February this year.

Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja had in the February’s judgment convicted Metuh and his firm, Destra Investments Limited, on charges of money laundering involving the sum of N400m they were said to have received fraudulently from the then National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, in December 2014.

They were also convicted for transacting with $2m cash without going through a financial institution in violation of money laundering law.

But following his appeal, the Court of Appeal in Abuja, on December 16, 2020 set aside his trial and quashed his conviction as well as his sentence on the grounds that Justice Abang was bias in his handling of the case.

The three-man panel of the Court of Appeal ordered a retrial of the case by another judge of the Federal High Court other than Justice Abang.

Metuh subsequently applied for bail following the judgement quashing his conviction.

Granting bail to the ex-PDP spokesperson on Thursday, Justice Maha ruled that he must present a surety who must be a responsible citizens and owner of landed property with value not less than the bail sum within Abuja

The judge said the release warrant addressed to the Superintendent of Nigeria Correctional Service, Kuje, in whose custody Metuh had been serving his jail term, would be issued as soon as the bail conditions were met.

She added, “That registry of this court shall verify the property/properties with the address of the surety and depose to affidavit of same.

“That original title deeds of the property/properties shall be deposited in the registry of this honourable court.”

She also ordered the conditional release of Metuh’s passport from the court registry as soon as the bail conditions were fulfilled.

Meanwhile, Metuh has been released from Kuje custodial centre, Abuja.

Our correspondent learnt that Metuh was released from custody on Thursday.

The spokesman, Federal Capital Territory Command of the Nigeria Correctional Service, Humphrey Chukwuedo, confirmed the development.

But the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said it will approach the Supreme Court to set aside the December 16 decision of the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, quashing Metuh’s conviction. Punch