Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court Abuja has adjourned the trial of the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Olisa Metuh until Wednesday January 27.
At the resumed trial on Tuesday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, presented the third witness to give his testimony on the ongoing matter.
The prosecution presented Mr. Bali Ndam a legal officer with the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, in charge of legal opinions, vetting and drafting of contracts and Memorandum of Understanding. He was brought in by the EFCC as a witness to some of the documents presented to the court.
Ndam explained to the court how the Office of the National Security Adviser on the 28th of November 2015 forwarded a letter to the Chairman of the EFCC, tittled: “The Payment of contracts to companies without awards for your consideration.”
He informed the court that in the letter were lists of 78 companies of which Dextra Investments, a company Metuh has stakes in, was a part of.
According to Ndam, “A letter was sent to the Chairman of the EFCC on Nov 28, 2015 requesting for e-payment mandate on the affected documents on the 13 Jan 2016.”
The defence counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu SAN, however objected to the witness and the documents tendered arguing that the document tendered before the court was not certified and that the witness is not the maker and as such pleaded with the court to dismiss the documents tendered and disallow the witness to be cross examined. He said the witness was trying to mislead the court.
Ipkeazu argued that only the custodian which is the EFCC or the maker of the document can be presented as witness.
He also informed the court that none of the documents tendered was an MOU or a contract and as such prayed the court not to allow the witness testify in the matter.
The prosecuting counsel, Sylvanus Tahir however objected to the argument of the defendant, saying that the documents tendered are not misleading. He held that they are valid and those not original have been certified.
Tahir said, “The witness is a public servant representing an organisation, which is ONSA and has not tried to mislead the court in anyway.”
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