The main reason why Metuh destroyed his statement — EFCC

A staff of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has told a court that a written statement allegedly volunteered by the spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Olisa Metuh, was destroyed by Mr. Metuh partly because it made references to former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Junaid Said told the court that Mr. Metuh admitted in the statement that he received N400 million arms money and used the sum for political activities and his personal needs, and made references to Mr. Jonathan.

The EFCC on Friday amended its charge of “destruction of evidence” against Mr. Metuh, the Peoples Democratic Party National Publicity Secretary.

The charge was amended at the resumption of the proceeding by the commission’s counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, at an FCT High Court presided over by Justice Ishaq Bello.

Mr. Tahir said the third-count of “Mischief” contravened Section 326 punishable under Section 327 of the Penal Code.

Testifying in the case, an EFCC witness, Junaid Said, told the court that Mr. Metuh tore the commission’s document.

Mr. Said, a Special Task Force Team member of EFCC, led in evidence by Mr. Tahir, said that the team received a petition in January 2016.

The EFCC witness said the defendant volunteered a statement to the commission.

“My Lord, when he concluded writing his statement which was on four sheets of the EFCC statement form, I collected the statement and read over it, I then handed the statement over to my superiors Musa and Wetkas.

“When I was handing over the statement, the defendant said he was surprised that he had written that much and that he felt he had given too much information.

“Because of the comment, I was worried I gave him the statement sheets one after the other for endorsement,’’ the witness said.

He said Mr. Metuh endorsed the first and second sheet, but tore the third sheet.

The witness told the court that the third sheet was where Mr. Metuh disclosed that he received the money for PDP political activities, settle his personal needs and made reference to former President Goodluck Jonathan.

“My lord, he suddenly tore the statement sheet into pieces, in great shock and surprise I stood up I asked him why he did what he did?

“He said he did that because he was no longer willing to give the information on that statement sheet.

“I then requested the pieces of the statement, he declined and attempted to put them in his pocket, I then cautioned him and told him to respect himself, he insisted that he was going to dispose the torn sheet.

“I persuaded him to handover the tore sheet and brought one plain paper before him, he poured the pieces on the plain sheet, my other colleagues were there looking at us in surprise as well.

The judge adjourned the case till March 16 for continuation.

-NAN