N400m Fraud: Metuh’s Ill Health Stalls Trial

Alex Enumah in Abuja

The trial of the former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, for alleged money laundering offences at the Federal High Court in Abuja was yesterday stalled due to ill health suffered by the defendant.

Metuh was said to be on admission at the National Hospital in Abuja.
His counsel, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), at the resumption of his trial yesterday, informed the court the defendant was last Sunday rushed to the National Hospital where he was admitted for complications arising from the spinal cord ailment for which he had earlier prayed the court to allow him leave for a scheduled surgery abroad.
According to his counsel, doctors at the National Hospital were still running series of tests and examinations on Metuh and had insisted that they would only be able to issue a report later in the day after collating the results of the tests.

Ikpeazu therefore urged the court to adjourn the matter till the next day on the grounds that the doctors had assured that the report will be ready later today.

Ikpeazu also urged the court to direct the prosecution and an officer of the court to accompany him to see Metuh at the National Hospital if it was not satisfied with his explanations.
Also, counsel to the second defendant, Chief Tochukwu Onwugbufor (SAN) (Destra Investments Limited), told the court that Metuh took ill and suddenly could not stand while attending church service last Sunday after which it was realised that his lower limbs had gone numb.

According to him, Metuh was rushed to the National Hospital where preliminary examination by doctors showed that the untreated spinal cord ailment had triggered a complication resulting in the numbness of his lower limbs.
He said Metuh had to undergo series of examinations including an MRI scan on his spine at an Indian Hospital in Karu, Abuja on Monday which results came in late last night making it difficult for the team of doctors to arrive at a comprehensive deduction for a medical report the same day.

Onwugbufor urged the court to note that the defendant is human and susceptible to the frailties of life including falling sick, and is only asking the court to grant him an adjournment to enable his doctors conclude on the tests and issue a report on him.

He also argued that under the law, the defendant is entitled to such adjournments under such circumstance.
However, in his argument, prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, said the explanations by the defence counsel does not substitute for a sick certificate or a medical report from the hospital and urged the court to adjourn the case to the following day after which it should invoke the relevant sections of the laws to continue the case in the absence of the accused if he fails to appear in court or produce the necessary medical documents.

Justice Okon Abang in a bench ruling, adjourned the case at the instance of the accused person to today on the grounds that the same day had already been listed for continuation of trial on the case.