More revelations have come to light through the ongoing trial of National Publicity Secretary of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh.
The lastest is the confession of an official of the Office of the National Security Adviser, Bali Ndam, who on Tuesday narrated to a Federal High Court in Abuja how companies, including the one owned by Metuh, got paid for doing nothing.
Testifying, he said the processes leading to the charges of money laundering and fraudulent receipt of the sum of N400m from the ONSA in November 2014, preferred against Metuh, was based on a petition got from the office of NSA.
He said he could “vividly remember” that Metuh’s firm, Destra Investments Limited, with whom the PDP spokesperson is standing trial, was among the 78 beneficiaries of the allegedly fraudulent payment
Ndam, a Legal Adviser at the ONSA, who appeared before Justice Okon Abang as the third prosecution witness for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday, said the incumbent NSA, Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno, sent a petition dated November 28, 2015 to the commission over “payment of contracts without award”.
Led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, the witness said “a list of companies and individuals about 78 in number” was attached to the NSA’s petition to the EFCC
But an attempt by the prosecution to tender the petition and other documents, including the electronic mandate issued by the ONSA to the Controller of the Abuja branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria for payments in favour of the 78 beneficiaries, was opposed by the defence counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN).
Yesterday, two witnesses were brought by EFCC, who opened a Pandora’s box on Metuh, and his company, Dextra Investments Limited, on how they helped to change and traffer the sum of $2million allegedly collected from the office of the National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki by Metuh.
The first prosecution witness, Nneka Ararume, a wealth manager dealing in management of equities, fixed income instruments and real estate, said she collected the sum of $2million dollars from Mr. Metuh sometime in December 2014.
She said she changed the dollars into Nigerian currency and had it transferred to Metuh’s account.
The second witness, a bureau de change operator, said he had the sum of $1 million dollars exchanged to N183 million and transferred to the account of Dextra Investments Limited.
The EFCC is prosecuting Metuh and his company, Destra Investments Limited, on seven counts of money laundering and fraudulent receipt of N400m meant for procurement of arms from from the Office of the NSA on November 22, 2014, and used the funds for the PDP’s campaign activities.
The prosecution alleged that the N400m from which Metuh was said to have given about N21m to a former Chairman, Board of Trustee of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, was “part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity” of the immediate past NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd).
The prosecution, led by Mr. Sylvanus Tahir, opened its case on Monday.
