The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the Presidency of intrusion and negative suggestions in the on-going trial of its former National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh.
The party said the comment by the Presidency, through its aide, Lauretta Onochie, mocking Chief Metuh’s worsened health condition and his being brought to the court from the hospital, in obedience to order of court, as a “nollywood’ act, had further confirmed that the interest of the current administration in the matter was beyond the bounds of seeking justice in its prosecution.
The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, on Wednesday said the presidency had been intruding into Chief Metuh’s case since inception just to set up the former spokesperson before the judiciary.
“It is repulsive that a presidential aide has once again intruded directly, with malicious suggestions, in a matter that is on judicial trial, thus further exposing that Chief Metuh’s travails in the course of the trial, may have been politically hatched and orchestrated.
“It is instructive to state that Chief Metuh, whose spinal chord ailment has badly deteriorated, was brought to court in his current medical state, sequel to the order of the trial judge.
“It is public knowledge that Justice Abang on January 25, 2018 rejected medical reports from doctors at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, where Chief Metuh had been on admission and ordered him to appear in court on Monday, January 5, 2018 or have his bail revoked. In fact, the judge ruled that he would thenceforth not accept any other report issued by any medical doctor on the accused.
“It is therefore irresponsible, wicked and an unpardonable act of inhumanity, for the presidency or any of its agents to mock Chief Metuh for obeying the order of court, even in his current state of health,” the party stated.
Lamenting that there was a sinister design against Chief Metuh, the PDP said it had information that government agents had been harassing medical aides and practitioners across the country for offering any form of treatment or assistance to him.
The party said that viewing such alongside negative and hostile disposition towards medical reports on Metuh, it would be safe to conclude that there was a grand conspiracy to persecute the accused.
“While we are not opposed to the trial of any of our members for any matter whatsoever, we insist that the process must be fair, without external influences and in strict compliance with provisions of the law.”
