Olisa Metuh sentenced to prison for money laundering

A former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, has been convicted of money laundering by a Federal High Court in Abuja.

Metuh and his company, Destra Investment Limited, have been prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the N400million he allegedly received from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) in 2014.

Metuh was arrested in January of 2016 and has made several court appearances since that time.

The NSA was at the time headed by Sambo Dasuki who until recently, was in prison custody since 2015 for allegedly misappropriating a certain $2.1billion.

Trial Justice Okon Abang found Metuh’s firm, Destra Investment Ltd, guilty of illegally receiving N400million from Dasuki's office, prior to the 2015 presidential election, without contract approval or execution.

“I find the defendants guilty in respect of count 1 of the charge and they are accordingly convicted," Justice Abang pronounced.

“The prosecution had satisfied the requirement and established the ingredients against count one, Metuh should have reasonably known that the money formed part of illegal funds”.

Six counts still being read

The Judge is still reviewing submissions of all the parties with respect to the remaining six counts of the charge.

In a seven-count charge it entered before the court, the EFCC had alleged that the N400m was electronically wired from an account that ONSA operated with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to Metuh, via account no. 0040437573, which his firm operated with Diamond Bank Plc.

The prosecution also alleged that Metuh was involved in an illicit transaction that involved the exchange of $2million, in violation of extant financial regulations.

Update: Metuh has been found guilty on all 7-count charges bordering on money laundering, conversion and concealing of N400 million received from the office of the NSA.