Supreme Court Sends Metuh Back to Justice Abang for Trial

Fri, Jun 9, 2017 | By publisher


Political Briefs

THE Supreme Court on Friday, June 9, ordered Justice Okon Abang of a federal high court in Abuja, to continue the hearing on charges of money laundering and fraud instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, against Olisah Metuh, a former national publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Parties, PDP.

In a unanimous decision of the five-man bench of the Supreme Court, the court dismissed Metuh’s application for an order of stay of proceedings of his trial before Justice Abang’s court.

The trial of the politician will now resume on June 19, a date fixed by Abang to deliver some interlocutory rulings on the trial. The judge had adjourned until June 19, to await the outcome of the Supreme Court’s ruling delivered on Friday, June 9, dismissing Metuh’s application which was anchored on his pending appeal before the court.

The Supreme Court had been called to rule against an earlier ruling of the Court of Appeal which affirmed Justice Abang’s decision dismissing Metuh’s no-case submission.

The former PDP spokesman had through his application for stay of proceedings, urged the Supreme Court to halt his trial before the federal high court pending the outcome of his appeal before the apex court on the no-case submission. But his appeal failed.

The lead ruling of the apex court dismissing Metuh’s application for a stay of proceedings was prepared by Justice Clara Ogunbiyi, but it was read on her behalf by Justice Ejembi Eko, who also agreed with the lead ruling.

—  Jun 19, 2017 @ 01:00 GMT

Tags: