Mohammed O. Taoheed
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has on Monday disclaimed a report that a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has struck out a suit of money laundering filed against former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Olisa Metuh.
This is contained in a statement issued by the EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, adding Metu’s case is still pending in the Supreme Court and that the news stating that Metu’s case had been struck out was a lie.
According to him: “The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to some reports in the media, alleging that the Federal High Court, FHC, sitting in Abuja, on Monday, September 26, 2022, struck out a suit filed by the Commission against former National Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Olisa Metuh, for retrial. We wish to state unequivocally that there is no modicum of truth in those reports.
“Metuh’s case is presently pending before the Supreme Court, arising from the appeal by the Commission, as well as his own cross appeal, upon the judgment of the Court of Appeal which nullified the judgment of the trial court on alleged grounds of bias.
“There is, therefore, no pending case before the Federal High Court to warrant striking out of the same.
“It bears reiterating that the EFCC has no fresh application for retrial of Metuh before the court. There can be no striking out of a suit that was not initiated or filed before the court. Any report of striking out of a suit filed by the EFCC on Metuh is a gross misrepresentation of the status of the case and the public is enjoined to ignore such reports.
“The EFCC is awaiting the judgment of the apex court, against the discharge of Metuh, by the Court of Appeal in the N400 million money laundering charges instituted against him. The Commission will do nothing to abuse processes of the court as it remains committed to total respect for the rule of law.”
