Former PDP spokesperson, Olisa Metuh, says he would never allow
himself to be used against ex-President Goodluck Jonathan. Metuh through
his counsel had asked the Federal High Court to issue a summon on
Former president Goodluck Jonathan to appear as a witness in his ongoing
trial. Metuh is accused of collecting N400 million from the office of
the former Naitional Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki. Justice Okon
Abang of the Federal High Court on Monday October 23rd, signed the
summons and asked the court Bailiff to ensure it gets to Jonathan so he
can appear at the next court hearing.
In a statement released yesterday October 26th, Metuh says he is not
calling on Jonathan to appear in court to humilate him but he wants the
former president to come into the witness box to prove that he is
innocent in the charges of money laundering leveled against him by the
Federal government.
“It is, therefore, inconceivable and completely ridiculous for
anybody to think that I would for any reason betray or surrender myself
to be used against President Goodluck Jonathan, for whom I have immense
respect and served diligently, without any apologies, in and out of
office. To what end will I conspire with the same set of people, who
singled me out to be humiliated and openly handcuffed, while spreading
all manner of malicious stories against me, most of which they even
denied outright in court while others remain completely
unsubstantiated? Ordinarily, the content of the charge against me in the
Federal High Court should not breed any worries but for the fact that
it now appears that the anti-corruption fight has shifted the burden of
proof to a defendant once an allegation is made. Without prejudice to
all the foregoing, I accept that it was the need for corroboration of
lack of mens rea on my part that led my lawyers to request for the
evidence of the respected former President to assist them in proving my
innocence.”
Metuh in his statement said that as a result of the controversies
that have emanated from his invitation to Jonathan to testify in his
case, he has asked his lawyers to review the subpoena.
“However, with all the controversies arising from the reports of the
said pronouncements and the attendant concerns thereof, I have
instructed my legal team to revisit and review the entire issue of the
subpoena,” he said
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