Court eases Metuh’s bail condition

• National Publicity Secretary, Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Olisa Metuh, appearing for his trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja... on Tuesday. Photos: Olatunji Obasa

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Ade Adesomoju, Abuja

The National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olisa Metuh’s hope for a sooner freedom from prison detention received a boost on Wednesday, as a Federal High Court in Abuja lessened the bail terms which  it imposed on him on January 19.

Going by a ruling of Justice Okon Abang, granting in part Metuh’s application for variation of the bail conditions, the PDP spokesperson would no longer be required to produce two sureties who must have property strictly in the Maitama area of Abuja.

While the bail sum of N400m and other attached conditions remain, Metuh’s proposed sureties, who the court insisted must be resident in Abuja, could now be owners of property with valid title documents “in any district of the Federal Capital Territory”.

The court delivered a bench ruling on the application filed on January 26 shortly after ‎Metuh’s lawyer, Mr. Emeka Etiaba (SAN), moved it on Wednesday.

But the court in its ruling rejected an aspect of Metuh’s application seeking the removal of the bail condition directing the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Sylvanus Tahir, to within 24 hours of being notified, verify the addresses of the proposed sureties and the certificates of occupancy of the property to be presented by them.

The court rejected the second leg of the application despite disregarding the opposition by prosecuting counsel to that aspect of the prayer for failing to file his objection to the application within 24 hours earlier given him to do so.

The judge upheld Etiaba’s request that Tahir’s submissions be ‎expunged from the court’s records but still went ahead to rule that, “As regarding the second leg of the application, I think the first defendant (Metuh) is asking for what is not legally permissible.”

Wednesday made the eighth day since Metuh was granted bail but had remained in prison detention due to his inability to fulfill  the terms.

But he has since spent a total of 12 days in custody from the date of his arraignment on January 15 on charges of money laundering and fraudulent receipt of N400m, part of funds allegedly meant for procurement of arms, from the Office of the National Security Adviser in November 2014.

Since his remand, prison officials have always produced him in court for his trial in handcuff, not exempting his appearances before a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, where the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, subsequently charged him with destruction of evidence.

‎Metuh is being prosecuted along with his company  before Justice Abang for money‎ laundering and fraudulent receipt of N400m from the Office of the National Security Adviser in November 2014.

The prosecution alleged in the charges that Metuh and his firm used the N400m paid to them by ONSA for PDP’s campaign activities, and were said to have given about N21m to a former Chairman, Board of Trustee of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih.