10th January, 2017
The trial of Olisa Metuh, the former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party was on Tuesday stalled following his collapse at his Abuja church on Sunday.
His lawyer, Mr Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), told a Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday that Metuh is currently on admission at the National Hospital Abuja.
According to Ikpeazu, Metuh was rushed to the hospital after he collapsed during the Sunday service in his church in Abuja on Sunday.
Ikpeazu made this known to Justice Okon Abang, the trial judge while stating that the reasons for Metuh’s absence from the court, where he is being prosecuted along with his company, Destra Investment Limited, for offences relating to separate transactions of N400m and $2m was because he collapsed on Sunday.
The EFCC is prosecuting Metuh and Destra Investment Limited on a seven-count offence of fraud involving N400m which he allegedly received from the Office of the National Security Adviser in 2014 without any justification.
Other counts involve alleged money laundering involving cash transaction with $2m, which was said to be above limit of cash payments allowed by law.
Ikpeazu said, “The first defendant is absent because he is sick. He was rushed to the National Hospital in Abuja on Sunday after he collapsed while trying to stand up from his seat to sing in his church.”
According to him, Metuh was later taken from the National Hospital to an Indian hospital in Karu, Abuja, and later back to the National Hospital, where he is receiving treatments until the Tuesday’s proceedings.
Ikpeazu also sought an adjournment of the trial till Wednesday to enable his client to obtain a medical report on his health condition.
In response, prosecuting counsel, Mr Sylvanus Tahir, said in the absence of a medical report disclosing Metuh’s health status, the court should disregard the submission of the defence lawyer and go ahead with the proceedings in the absence of the accused person.