The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed February 25, 2020, as date for judgment in the alleged N400m fraud case against former Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh.
Metuh was accused of laundering the which he allegedly received fraudulently from the Office of the National Security Adviser in 2015.
Metuh alongside his company, Destra Investment Limited, was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on seven counts of money laundering including allegations that they both fraudulently took the N400m “when they reasonably ought to know” that the money was part of the proceeds of alleged criminal activity of the then NSA, Sambo Dasuki.
Metuh was further accused of transacting with a cash of $2m without going through a financial institution in violation of a provision of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.
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The defendants had pleaded not guilty to all the seven counts when they were arraigned before the court nearly four years ago in January 2016.
Justice Okon Abang fixed the date for judgment on Tuesday after hearing the closing remarks of the prosecution and defence lawyers.
On Tuesday, the defence team, comprising, Mr. Abel Ozioko, who appeared for Metuh and Mr. Tochukwu Onwugbufor, SAN, for Destra Investment Ltd, prayed the court to discharge and acquit their clients on the grounds that the prosecution failed to prove the alleged offences.
However, the prosecution led by Mr. Sylvanus Tahir, maintained that they had proved all the offences charged beyond reasonable doubt, and urged the judge to return a guilty verdict on the defendants.