Olisa Metuh, former spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says he is ready to return the “contentious” N400m as a sign of support for President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption war.

Metuh said this in a statement by his lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), on Thursday.

The former PDP spokesman is facing trial at the federal high court, Abuja for allegedly receiving N400m — being money for arms purchase — from Sambo Dasuki, former national security adviser (NSA).

He had said that the money was given to him by former President Goodluck Jonathan for media campaigns ahead of the 2015 presidential election, but on Thursday, he said he was willing to return the money as an honest citizen.

“In the light of the circumstances regarding the case of our client, Chief Olisa Metuh with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), we want to explain the reasons for our client’s proposal to refund the N400 million released to him by former President Goodluck Jonathan, and which was expended on a project approved by the ex-president on national issues relating to his presidency and the federal government at that time,” the statement read.

“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 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 Chief Metuh was invited to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in December 2015, he requested to know the source of the money and expressed his readiness to make refunds if it was from 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 refund the money and has indeed approached his family, friends and associates to mobilise funds to refund the entire N400 million 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.”

Metuh said that had been in “talks with the ministry of justice, the EFCC and other necessary bodies on how to refund the money and resolve the issue”.

“Our client occupied no government office. His commitment and dedication to his official duties have been confirmed by even prosecution witnesses. In this whole saga, he has been an unfortunate victim of circumstances. His refunding 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,” read the statement.

“There is no doubt that the prosecution has considerably embarked on some expenses in the course of this case. It is hoped that by not discounting the sum already recovered, whatever cost so far incurred would have been defrayed. By this, a critical objective of recovery of funds would no doubt be achieved.

“It is pertinent to restate our client’s continued support for the anti-corruption campaign, which is necessary to ensure probity in the affairs of Nigeria to the extent that it is conducted within the rule of law.”

TheCable
http://abusidiqu.com/im-not-guilty-but-ill-return-n400m-to-show-support-for-buharis-anti-corruption-war-metuh/

Pls let him do shap shap

See ibo man cunning sense! Well return the money first but then you must still go through trial, be convicted and sentenced to 400 years in prison to teach your fellow thieves not to loot public money and then pull all kinds of stunts to stall your trial or emotionally blackmail Nigerians to think you can steal their N 400 M yam in the name of whatever rubbish place you come from! Thieving efulefu - the type of leaders who get support in beerfraud.

Mr Lai olisa metuh

Laffn. 400million?? And he said he's not guilty! Kikikikikiki.. Politicians and their cunning ways.

Are u not funny.. metuh.. am a PDP member.. but these one eh... olisah... U r just a disgrace.. with 400million u can feed hundreds of people at least... smh for naija politicians

oo

Lets hope Bubu return the jeeps and financial help he got from Dasuki, but knowing the dullard, I doubt he would.

So where will he get the money from?
Can't believe that this statement is coming from his lawyers!

My happiness is that these guys didn't even bother to upgrade our jails when they were in power.

Our leaders are not worthy of emulation.

See thief, who asks of his support

You are not guilty a d u r returning huge sum of 400m just for support, lol
Olise suddenly bcom divine helper now abi


Kontinu

Baba you dey print Money




Where did you get such amount from....






Or Did Nigeria give you the money to hold for them






#MySignature #Mybusiness

In saner climes Mr Metuh, you will go through the rest of the trial--- or plead guilty(the choice is yours)--- get convicted, get sentenced to prison time and probation, pay restitution, then pay a fine. Basically, your guilt will not be in doubt at the conclusion of court proceedings. In the end I know this is what will happen to you because Nigeria is trying to restore sanity to the land. You can blab all you want to the press, the decision to declare yourself not guilty is not vested in you but in the hands of a Federal Judge. Keep on talking since you seem to be the offspring of a parrot. Clown.

Good man.


Pls someone should send this man to kirikiri.

Wailers will pretend not to notice this thread

The leaders are just a reflection of the people, an average Nigerian on the street is a potential criminal, seen no for who to outsmart and con of his hard earned resources... The leaders are only showing us what we look like,

Everybody wants to to live above their means and nobody cares, just after the cash


Thank God for Buhari

I hope the dullard buhari will return his ptf loot,I also hope his wife the unchained mad Aisha will also return her halliburton scandal loot.
They all should return their loots.

Blizzy9ja:
The money was expended on a project approved by the ex-president on national issues relating to his presidency and the federal government at that time

Is he the only contractor in Nigeria? Why ain't other contractors returning any money?

More like saying you wanna dash Buhari’s government 400milla. Hian, which kain talk be that na? Ur tactically requesting for plea bargain and ur doing it on the pages of newspaper like it's it right to have a plea bargain. Sorry mate, that boat has long sailed.

You would have saved yourselves all these stresses & embarrassment if you had returned this amount at the onset but you refuse & now you are very closn to been sentence to jail. My advice to you next time is to do the right thing at the right time.

Abeg this hopeless thief should sharrap!

Metuh head no correct...

Metuh! One of the goats that ate our yams. I learnt that in the absence of yams you now eat paper. Metuh bring back our yams!

If I talk now they would say am against them, anyhow oga metuh drop the one u want to drop and stop telling us stories, we need our money complete.

Blizzy9ja:
The money was expended on a project approved by the ex-president on national issues relating to his presidency and the federal government at that time

U will believe anything. A non guilty man will never give us all the action movie metuh had been giving us since. Smsssschhh