Appeal Court Reserves Judgment in Metuh, Kanu’s Suits

Tobi Soniyi in Abuja
The Court of Appeal has reserved judgment in the appeal filed by the former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh.

Justice Abdul Aboki who presided over a three-man panel that heard the appeal said judgment would be delivered in a day to be communicated to the parties.

The court reserved the judgment after taking argument from counsel.
Metuh had approached the court of appeal, asking it to set aside the ruling of a Federal High Court Abuja which had last month held that Metuh had a case to answer in the money laundering charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFFC).

Justice Okon Abang, after refusing Methu’s no case submission, asked him to open his defence to the case in the criminal matter but Metuh in the appeal filled by his counsel, Chief Onyehi Ikpeazu, (SAN), urged the appellate court to hold that the EFCC which prosecuted Methu failed to establish a nexus linking him to the said offence.

He said from the totality of the evidence led by the prosecution to the point of closing his case, Metuh was not linked with the alleged fraud and therefore asked the court of appeal to set him free.

Metuhalso argued the ingredients that constituted the offence were not proved by the prosecution.
But the prosecutor, Mr. Sylvanus Tahir, opposed the appeal and asked the appellate court to dismiss it.

According to him, the appeal not only lacked merit but was frivolous.
The court has also reserved judgment in the appeal filed by Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB).