A federal High Court in Abuja has remanded the spokesman of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh, in prison following his ‘not guilty’ plea to a seven-count charge of corruption and money laundering.
Mr Metuh appeared in court on Friday, days after he was arrested by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for the charges.
Days after he was held in detention, the opposition party gave the EFCC 48 hours to either release its spokesman or charge him for the crime he was accused of.
The party claimed the arrest of Mr Metuh was a ‘witch hunt’ of the party’s members to stifle opposition, a claim the ruling party said was false.
The Federal government through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had filed a seven-count charge against the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh.
Metuh who was arrested on January 5th, has been in EFCC detention for collecting N400 million from the office of former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.
The charge, which was filed before a Federal High Court in Abuja today, has, however not been assigned to any judge.
Meanwhile, the Federal High Court in Abuja also on Thursday turned down an application by Metuh, to speedily hear his suit challenging his prolonged detention by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The EFCC has yet to arraign him, saying Metuh refused to refund the money.
Metuh filed a motion at the court, through his counsel, Ifedayo Adetibe, on Wednesday, demanding the immediate commencement of hearings on his suit.
Adetibe told the court in his interlocutory application that the arrest and continued detention of his client were unconstitutional, saying that the EFCC has no right to arrest and detain any one, without charging the person to court.
But the presiding judge, Justice Okon Abang, said the matter was merely an interlocutory application, not a substantive issue and so cannot be granted an accelerated hearing.
