Metuh Faults Lawyer’s Claim over EFCC Case

By Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Olisa Metuh, has taken exception to the claim by a legal practitioner, Chief Robert Clarke, alleging that he was given ‘billions of Naira’ by the ‘last regime’ to promote his party.

He said that he would expect Clarke to retract his statement since he is fully aware of the true position of Metuh’s case with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Metuh said Clarke, had falsely asserted among other things, that he (Metuh)  was given ‘billions of Naira’ by the last regime to promote his party.

He described the attempt by the lawyer to link the ongoing court case to corrupt enrichment was false and unfounded.

“We find it very curious that Clarke left the subject of the interview, which were solutions to issues of agitations by IPOB and political restructuring, to rather engage in media trial of Metuh’s case with unfounded assertions.

“While we expect Chief Clarke (SAN) to retract his statement and desist from such in the future, it is also instructive to note that whereas Chief Metuh is at liberty to use legitimate means available within the law to address such, he has maintained his comportment in pursing his case, despite his manifest ill-health, believing strongly that justice will prevail in the end.” he said.

In a statement issued by the Special Assistant to the former PDP Spokesman, Richard Ihediwa, he said that Clarke is fully aware of the facts of the case and also knows that Metuh was not given billions of naira and that he is not charged with corrupt enrichment.

 “Equally instructive is the fact that this same  Clarke, was one of the lawyers that held discussions with Chief Metuh after the closure of the case of the prosecution and who, after thoroughly studying the charges and the records in court, held on point and authority of the law that the EFCC has no case; that Chief Metuh is innocent; that the entire matter was an ‘unnecessary persecution by government’.

His legal opinion was that there was no way the government could have charged Chief Metuh without first convicting Col. Dasuki or perhaps charge them together. In fact, following his conviction that there was no case in the matter, Chief Clarke, SAN offered to be in Chief Metuh’s defence team and would have been so engaged, but for the fact that his brief was not perfected on issues of fees,” he said.

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