N400m fraud: Court turns down Metuh’s request to stay proceedings

JUSTICE Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday turned down the request by the former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh to hold on with his trial await the outcome of his appeal pending before the Supreme Court.

The Judge also refused to grant Metuh’s application seeking the release of his International Passport to enable him travel to the United Kingdom for medical attention.

Justice Abang, in his ruling on the first application held that by virtue of Section 306 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), his court has no power to stay trial in a criminal matter.

“I hold that by this provision, this court lacks the jurisdiction to stay in trial in this criminal matter”, Justice Abang held and dismissed the application for lacking in merit.

…Details later