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I am with Buhari, I will return N400 million – Olisa Metuh

For the second time, the former National Publicity Secretary of Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olisa Metuh has pledged to return the N400 million he’s being tried for by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. He claimed that he’s in full support of the anti-corruption crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The money was part of the sum meant for purchasing arms and ammunition for the military but was diverted by the office of the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo  Dasuki (rtd) under former President Goodluck Jonathan to fund his 2015 campaign.

Here’s the full statement:

‘Why our client (Chief Olisa Metuh) is offering to return the N400m – Counsel (Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN)

“We want to restate that at the time the money was released to him after his presentation to the ex-President, our client had no knowledge of the source, a fact that is now obvious from the evidence of the prosecution and the defence witnesses.

“Our client had every cause to believe that the money was from the ex-President to whom he made presentation, received directives and rendered report and accounts accordingly.

“When the matter first came up and Metuh was invited to the Office of the National Security Adviser in December, 2015, he requested to know the source of the money and expressed his readiness to make refunds if it was from the government coffers, not minding that the money had been expended as directed by the former President.

“Officials at ONSA never got back to him as they promised until his arrest by the EFCC in January, 2016.

“It was however while in court that a document was brought regarding the source of the money and since then, our client has made manifest his willingness to return the money and has indeed approached his family, friends and associates to mobilise funds to return the entire N400m to the government regardless of the fact that the money had been expended based on the directives of the former President and that part of the money had been recovered from one of the prosecution witnesses.

“His returning the money therefore goes to show his support for the anti-corruption war as well as serve as a testament to his sincerity, integrity and honesty in this matter.”

Encomium

Written by Encomium

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