Appeal Court frees Olisa Metuh, upturns Justice Abang’s conviction

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Wednesday upturned the conviction and seven years jail term imposed on the former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh, by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

A three-man panel of the Appeal Court led by Justice Stephen Adah in a unanimous judgment held that the proceedings of the Federal High Court leading to the conviction of Metuh and his company, Destra Investment Limited, were tainted with bias and, therefore, must not be allowed to stand.

Justice Adah who delivered the lead judgment held that the utterances of the trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, in the course of the trial, established that he was biased against the convicts.

The Appellate Court, therefore, ordered that trial be conducted afresh.

He directed that the case file be sent back to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for reassignment to another judge other than Justice Abang.

Justice Abang had in his judgment delivered on February 25, sentenced Metuh to seven years imprisonment for fraudulently receiving N400 million from the office of the then National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retired).