metuh
Metuh’s Lawyers Withdraw
metuh
Metuh’s Lawyers Withdraw from Trial over
Threats
The trial of former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh at the Federal High
Court, Abuja has suffered a major setback following application by
the defence counsel to withdraw from the matter.
Metuh and his company, Dextra Investment Ltd., are being
prosecuted by the Federal government over alleged money laundering
and illegal receipt of funds from the office of the National
Security Adviser (ONSA) to the tune of N400m for an alleged
unexecuted contract.
They pleaded not guilty to the charges, thereby prompting the
prosecution to commence trial.
But the trial yesterday, took a dramatic twist when counsel to
Metuh, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu SAN and Emeka Etiaba SAN, announced
before the court that they have filed a motion to withdraw from the
matter.
Both counsel predicated their actions on what they described
as,
“Immense pressure with respect to their appearance in the case”
as well as “severe threats” to their lives.
The counsel, who were not in court yesterday, had in the motion
on notice, further cited the order of the court for day to day
hearing of the matter, which they noted that they cannot afford,
“having regard to diaries of their respective offices.”
It would be recalled that hearing on the matter was stalled last
Monday after Etiaba informed the court that he was summoned by a
government agency on that same day, forcing the court to
adjourn.
However, at the resumed trial, Metuh’s lawyers, were absent in
court and reported to have been summoned again by the same agency,
prompting the trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, to inquire from
Metuh what he wants the court to do, in the circumstance.
Responding, Metuh who disclosed that he met with his lawyers on
Monday evening, recounted how they were traumatized by their
experience in the hands of the government agency.
He prayed the court to grant an adjournment to enable his
counsel to present their application.
In the application, Metuh’s lawyers stated that; “The Counsel
representing the 1st Defendant have been going through immense
pressure with respect to their appearance in this case, including
severe threats to their lives and will be unable to continue to
represent the 1st Defendant.”
In an affidavit in support of the motion on notice, Dr. Ikpeazu
averred, “I have received numerous threats to my life from diverse
sources through telephone calls with disguised numbers, giving
ultimatum and threatening to kill me based on the manner they
claimed I had been mishandling the case”
Ikpeazu also stated in the affidavit, that Emeka Etiaba had also
informed him that “he had received similar threats and thus will no
longer proceed with the representation of the 1st Defendant.”
He contended that “in the circumstance, it is impossible to
avail the 1st Defendant the legal representation he deserves in
this case” and applied that the court grant the application to
withdraw from the case in line with Section 349 (7), (8) of the
Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
The matter was adjourned to March 13, 2019.
By PRNigeria