JUST IN: Dasukigate: Court dismisses Metuh’s appeal

A three member panel of justices of the Court of Appeal on Wednesday threw out an appeal by the former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for lacking in merit.

Metuh had approached the court challenging the refusal of Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, where he is facing a money laundering charge, to allow him travel to the United Kingdom for medical attention.

The former PDP spokesman who accused Justice Abang of bias in his trial, also prayed the appellate court to order the transfer of his case from Abang to another judge of the federal high court.

But, Justice Abdul Aboki, who delivered the unanimous judgement of the appellate court held that Metuh failed to place any material evidence before the court to show that the trial court was biased.

According to him, the trial court meticulously put into consideration all the evidence placed before it before arriving at its decision.

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Aboki held that Metuh did not place anything before the lower court to show that his health deteriorated, as at the time he filed the application to warrant the release of his International Passport to enable him to travel abroad for treatment of his spinal cord injury.

In his words: “This appeal is utterly without merit and it is hereby dismissed.

“The ruling of Justice Okon Abang of the court below is hereby affirmed,” Justice Aboki further said.

The former PDP spokesman is facing a money laundering charge before Justice Okon Abang of the federal high court in Abuja, along with his company, for allegedly receiving the sum of N400 million from former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col Sambo Mohammed Dasuki (rtd) and using same to fund the 2019 presidential election of the PDP.