Olisa Metuh: EFCC kicks as former PDP spokesperson leaves Kuje prison
One week after the Court of Appeal upturned his conviction and ordered his retrial, Olisa Metuh has left Abuja-based Kuje prison.
The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) spokesperson was released from custody on Thursday, spokesperson for the Federal Capital Territory Command of the Nigeria Correctional Service, Humphrey Chukwuedo, confirmed.
On February 25, Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, sentenced Metuh to seven years in prison for laundering N400 million.
“I can confirm that Metuh has been released from custody,” Chukwuedo said.
The Court of Appeal penultimate Wednesday quashed his conviction on the basis of bias established against Justice Abang.
The court also sent the case for retrial with instructions that it should be reassigned to a different judge.
Metuh had in the course of his trial accused the judge of bias but his protests were dismissed by Abang who subsequently convicted him.
But the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said it will approach the Supreme Court to set aside the December 16 decision of the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, quashing Metuh’s conviction.
It noted that the court restricted itself to only two grounds of the appeal that dwelled on the alleged bias of the trial judge but failed to examine the merit of Abang’s judgment.
Mr Olisa Metu’s conviction run contrary to fair and good justice as epitomised by the Fulani JANJAWEED Government of Nigeria (FGN), in order to get at the Igbos. His trail and imprisonment by the APC government is tantamount to leaving the head that messed up and go knocking on an innocent buttocks.