– Witness backtracks on initial statement on contract approval
– Says there was no approval for the contract
A witness in the multi-million naira fraud allegations leveled
against Chief Olisa Metuh, Junaid Sai’d, has backtracked on a statement
he made before the court previously.
Sai’d, during a cross examination, had told the court that the N400 million transferred to the account of Destra Investment Limited, a company owned by Metuh, the national publicity secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), got no contract approval.
But further into his cross examination, the defense counsel, Onyeshi Ikpeazu asked Sai’d if the first defendant (Metuh) told him he had a presentation with the former president Goodluck Jonathan.
“As an experienced investigator your duty is to investigate the statement of an accused person not matter how improbable?” Ikpeazu asked.
Ikpeazu further asked the witness: “In the course of your investigation, did you take statement from the former president, Goodluck Jonathan?”
In his response, Sai’d said he did not interrogate the former president, adding that the N400 million transferred to the account of Destra Investment Limited had no contract approval and that the money was transferred with an approval from the former national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki and his then director of finance, Shuaibu Salisu.
Ikpeazu in his interrogation asked the witness to read a part of a document admitted by the court as exhibit.
“My lord, it states here that all due process was complied with,” Sai’d said, adding also that, “My lord, in the course of investigation, it was revealed that the former national security adviser Sambo Dasuki had withdrawn about N10 billion from the central Bank of Nigeria and converted same into dollars which amounted to $47 million and gave the money to the then Aide De Camp (ADC) to Jonathan.”
Sai’d told the court that the ADC to Jonathan shared the money to PDP members for the presidential convention and that investigations by the EFCC strongly showed that $2 million dollars given to the first prosecution witness, Nneka Araraume by Metuh was from Dasuki.
The defense counsel further asked the witness if he (Sai’d) has any document to show that the $2 million was part of the money shared by the former NSA.
Ikpeazu asked the witness if he took any statement from people present during Metuh’s presentation with the former president to which he responded: “My lord, yes, from Yomi Bodejo (a previous witness in the case).”
Listing Jonathan and Dasuki as people present during the presentation, Sai’d said he could not remember others present.
After testifying, at the instance of the judge, Sai’d stepped out of the witness box.
While the trial was going on, women dressed in PDP dress walked into the courtroom.
Although no sits were left for these women to sit, they stood behind the chairs with many others who could not get seats.
Meanwhile, Metuh’s trial was adjourned earlier today by Okon Abang, who admitted the close of case by the prosecution and called for the defence to open its case.
But the defence counsel, Onyeshi Ikpeazu, called for an adjournment of the matter to enable his team to obtain a record of the proceedings of the court.
– Says there was no approval for the contract
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Chief Olisa Metuh during a recent court appearance.
Sai’d, during a cross examination, had told the court that the N400 million transferred to the account of Destra Investment Limited, a company owned by Metuh, the national publicity secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), got no contract approval.
But further into his cross examination, the defense counsel, Onyeshi Ikpeazu asked Sai’d if the first defendant (Metuh) told him he had a presentation with the former president Goodluck Jonathan.
“As an experienced investigator your duty is to investigate the statement of an accused person not matter how improbable?” Ikpeazu asked.
Ikpeazu further asked the witness: “In the course of your investigation, did you take statement from the former president, Goodluck Jonathan?”
In his response, Sai’d said he did not interrogate the former president, adding that the N400 million transferred to the account of Destra Investment Limited had no contract approval and that the money was transferred with an approval from the former national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki and his then director of finance, Shuaibu Salisu.
Ikpeazu in his interrogation asked the witness to read a part of a document admitted by the court as exhibit.
“My lord, it states here that all due process was complied with,” Sai’d said, adding also that, “My lord, in the course of investigation, it was revealed that the former national security adviser Sambo Dasuki had withdrawn about N10 billion from the central Bank of Nigeria and converted same into dollars which amounted to $47 million and gave the money to the then Aide De Camp (ADC) to Jonathan.”
Sai’d told the court that the ADC to Jonathan shared the money to PDP members for the presidential convention and that investigations by the EFCC strongly showed that $2 million dollars given to the first prosecution witness, Nneka Araraume by Metuh was from Dasuki.
The defense counsel further asked the witness if he (Sai’d) has any document to show that the $2 million was part of the money shared by the former NSA.
Ikpeazu asked the witness if he took any statement from people present during Metuh’s presentation with the former president to which he responded: “My lord, yes, from Yomi Bodejo (a previous witness in the case).”
Listing Jonathan and Dasuki as people present during the presentation, Sai’d said he could not remember others present.
After testifying, at the instance of the judge, Sai’d stepped out of the witness box.
While the trial was going on, women dressed in PDP dress walked into the courtroom.
Although no sits were left for these women to sit, they stood behind the chairs with many others who could not get seats.
Meanwhile, Metuh’s trial was adjourned earlier today by Okon Abang, who admitted the close of case by the prosecution and called for the defence to open its case.
But the defence counsel, Onyeshi Ikpeazu, called for an adjournment of the matter to enable his team to obtain a record of the proceedings of the court.
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