The former National Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh has been released from Kuje custodial centre Abuja, 9News Nigeria has learnt.
According to a source close to the family who spoke with 9News Nigeria correspondent, Olisa Metuh was released early today, 24th December 2020 and has joined his family a day before Christmas.
Recall that the Appeal Court Abuja had on Wednesday 16th December 2020, quashed the seven year jail term imposed on Olisa Metuh on the ground that the judge who sentenced him, Okong Abang, was biased. A three-man panel led by Justice Stephen Adah had given the verdict in a unanimous judgment that acquitted the former PDP spokesperson.
Mr Metuh was prosecuted by the EFCC, alongside his company, Destra Investment, on a seven-count charge of diversion of the money received when Sambo Dasuki was the National Security Adviser.
On January 5, 2016, Olisa Metuh was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), based on allegations from the account of Dasuki regarding some fund (Arms Deal) said to have been traced to his law firm.
READ ALSO: BREAKING!!! Court Sentences Olisa Metuh To Seven Years In Prison Over N400m Money Laundering Case
According to the allegations, Olisa Metuh had received over N400 million from the money that was supposedly set aside for the purchase of arms.
However, Mr Metuh had told the court that the N400 million he is accused of collecting from the federal government was spent on “special national assignment.”
On February 18 2020, Mr Metuh had pleaded not guilty to the amended seven-count charge preferred against him by the EFCC.
On February 25th, Olisa Metuh was sentenced to seven years imprisonment after the judge, Justice Okon Abang, found him guilty of all the seven-count charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Report by Obinna Ejianya (9News Nigeria, Melbourne)
