Chief Olisa Metuh, on Friday, told a Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over by Justice Okon Abang that the N400 million he collected from the Office of the National Security Adviser under Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.) in 2014 was for “a special national assignment”.
The former National Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party, Chief Olisa Metuh, who spoke under cross-examination by the prosecution counsel, said there was never an instance where former President Goodluck Jonathan directly paid any money to him.
Metuh is facing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission alongside his company, Destra Investment on seven-count bordering on money laundering to the tune of N400million.
He said the money received in the run-up to the 2015 general elections was for the national assignment as directed by the then president, a statement by the EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said.
Upon being shown the statement of his account which had N6.6mn before an inflow of N400mn into it on November 24, 2014, Metuh narrated to the court how he distributed the money.
He said there was an outflow of N7.5mn from the amount through a cheque to a company, CNC Connect on December 2, 2014, and another payment of N21.7mn to late Chief Tony Anenih and N50mn to Kanayo/Olisah.
On that same date, he narrated that there was another outflow of N31.5mn to one Richard Ehidioha, adding that two separate payments of N200mn and N300mn were made to Daniel Ford International also on December 4, 2014.
Other subsequent expenditures he said, included payments to CNC Connect in the sum of N70mn on December 15, 2014; N25mn to Abba Dabo on December 16, 2014 and N5mn to Mrs Kema Chikwe.
He told the court that a final report he submitted to the ex-President Goodluck Jonathan had all the expenditures of the said N400 million, captured in receipts and signatures for all payment of monies in cash and through several accounts for the special assignment.
He said he had about 19 accounts of which more than five were in Diamond Bank, adding that he made an investment of $2million dollars in cash in ARM, through its official, Miss Nneka Ararume.
The matter has been adjourned to September 30, 2019, for continuation of trial.
