Looters’ list: FG has ordered my conviction by all means  ―Metuh

FORMER Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) spokesman, Chief Olisah Metuh, has raised the alarm that the federal government has ordered his conviction by all means in his ongoing trial.

Responding to his naming among treasury looters by Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, he said in a statement in Abuja on Saturday that by so doing, the government has breached the constitution by seeking to burden him with two criminal trials on the same charge, one before Justice Okon Abang and the other before the media.

Noting that the publication by the federal government’s spokesman is scandalous, he said the charge against him of receiving N400 million from the Office of the National Security Adviser is yet to be proven as illegal, saying that he has it on good authority that government has ordered that he should be convicted to taint the PDP.

The statement added: “The charge against me is that I received the sum of N400 million from the Office of the National Security Adviser to carry out duties assigned to me as the then National Publicity Secretary of the PDP by then President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The major crux of the prosecution argument is that I ought to have known that the money was a part of an alleged and yet to be proven unlawful activity of Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd), former NSA to President Jonathan.

“The charge was brought regardless of the fact that neither President Jonathan who gave me the assignment and directed the release of the funds nor Col Dasuki(rtd), who effected the release of the funds have ever been interrogated nor even interviewed in this regard.

“As a matter of fact, officers of the office of the National Security Adviser have testified in court that the payment made to me followed all due process usually observed in the establishment.

“I have never held a government office and/or position and could not, therefore, have had any access to government funds.

“In view of the weakness of the case against me, the APC led Federal Government resorted to all kinds of dirty tactics to dehumanise and intimidate me.

“They have done everything humanly possible to ensure complete persecution starting from bringing me to court in handcuffs (and parading the capture of Nigeria’s most wanted) to media trials and constant interference with my case.

“I have been reliably informed that the Federal Government has ordered a conviction at all cost to ensure that the PDP is tainted before the elections. The government’s determination to achieve this objective is clearly highlighted by the refusal to allow me to attend to my deteriorating health notwithstanding several expert medical opinions on the matter.

“By going to the media to name me a looter (without cross-checking the definition and dictionary meaning of the word) the federal government has not only given a body language but has issued a direct intimidation and threat to the judiciary to get a compulsory conviction.

“It is now clear that the APC led government that thrives in impunity and intimidation of other arms of government will not allow justice to be done in my matter. It is incontrovertible that our country has descended into the worst form of draconian rule where the executive arm directly interferes and seeks to control and determine matters within the purview of the legislature and the judiciary.

“In view of this unprecedented executive rascality and lawlessness, I have asked my lawyers to review the implications of this latest attack by the government and take appropriate steps for redress

“In all, my faith is firm in God that this tyranny will not last forever and that no mortal is omnipotent in my matter.”

Metuh said he had refrained from publicly discussing his “persecution and travails“ because he knew that the matter was subjudice since it is before the court.

“However the present action of the government leaves me no option than to defend my name and integrity. I have therefore decided to avail the public of the true state of the contrived case against me,” he declared.