Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama Abuja has adjourned the N400m fraud trial involving Olisa Metuh, former spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to October 23, 2018.
The adjournment was at the instance of counsel representing Metuh’s company Destra Nigeria Limited,Tochukwu Nwagbufor, SAN, who through an application informed the court that “he is currently receiving treatment in a London Hospital”
The case which was for defense could therefore not go on in the absence of the learned silk.
Metuh’s counsel Emeka Etiaba, SAN, who was to lead the first defendant into evidence told the court that “I can state that we are partially ready”. He further stated that he used the word ‘partially’ because the first defendant who is to be led in evidence is in court but the charge deals principally with the activities of the second defendant and “the documents we need to lead the defendant in evidence are with the lead counsel to the second defendant”.
Etiaba urged the court to consider Nwabufor’s antecedents in the matter, stressing that he had never been absent in court.
Counsel to the EFCC, Sylvanus Tahir however opposed the application saying it was a ploy to further delay the matter.
According to him, the Supreme Court has ruled to the effect that the matter should be given accelerated hearing; he urged the court to discountenance the application, and to call on the defendant to open his defense.
“We seriously oppose the application in the affidavit of fact given by the learned senior counsel to the second defendant. He had the whole of the court holidays to go for his treatment.
” Asking for an adjournment to November 29, 2018 would amount to holding the court for a period of 6 months starting from July 2018 since the case was last held”, Tahir argued.
Justice Abang after listening to the arguments of counsel adjourned to proceedings tomorrow, October 23.