The federal high court, Abuja, on
Friday closed the defence of Olisa Metuh, former spokesman of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), in spite of the absence of both Metuh and his team of
lawyers in court.
Okon Abang, the judge, made the
pronouncement in a ruling on an application by the prosecuting counsel,
Sylvanus Tahir, asking the court to close Metuh’s case.
Tahir in the application, said
that the court adjourned the matter for the cross- examination of the 11th
defence witness, Oladeji Bamidele.
He said Bamidele had been cross-
examined and discharged by the court, but no counsel from Metuh’s legal team
was present to tell the court if another witness would be called.
The prosecution added that no
reason was also given by the defence team for their absence in court.
Abang said the court on January
25, granted Metuh’s application to call seven additional witnesses to the nine
he had already called.
The judge said he had ordered
that the seven witnesses, must be in court at all times to give evidence, as
the court would not grant any other adjournment in the matter at the instance
of the first defendant (Metuh).
According to Abang, that order
has not been appealed against, and so it subsists,“ so I wonder why neither
Metuh nor any of his counsel was in court for the trial on Thursday and today
with no reason.’’
The judge said this could only
mean that Metuh had abandoned his defence, adding that the absence of his
counsel in court showed a lack of interest in the defence of his client.
“The first defendant is also not
in court to call any of his witness to give evidence in the matter,” he said.
“The only option the court has
now is to close the case of the first defendant. I rely on Section 6 (b) of the
constitution to close the case of the first defendant.
“I cannot manufacture an
application for adjournment for the first defendant; therefore, the case of the
first defendant is now closed.”
He said the second defendant,
Destra Investments Limited, Metuh’s company shall open its defence on July 2.
Kelechi Nwaiwu, counsel to
Channels Television, which had been summoned by the court had earlier announced
his appearance in court.
The court had summoned Channels
to appear and show cause why the station should not be asked to play the video
recording of a programme where alleged prejudicial comments were made.
The comments were allegedly made
by Ben-Chuks Nwosu, a counsel in Metuh’s legal team.
Nwaiwu told the court that the
station was not only represented in court but had also filed an affidavit
showing cause and an unedited DVD of the programme that allegedly contained the
prejudicial comments.
The judge adjourned the matter
until July 2, and ordered Channels Television to be in court on July 3, with
their equipment to play the DVD of the programme in the open court.
Metuh and his company, Destra
Investments Limited are being prosecuted by the federal government for
allegedly receiving N400 million from the former national security adviser,
Sambo Dasuki.
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