The Appeal Court on Wednesday nullified the seven years jail term imposed on former Peoples Democratic Party’s, PDP, spokesman, Olisa Metuh by Justice Okon of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The Federal High Court in Abuja had on 20 February, 2020 sentenced Metuh, to seven years in prison over N400 million money laundering.
He was convicted on all seven counts filed against him the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The former PDP’s spokesman appealed the judgement of the court.
A three-man appeal Court panel led by Justice Stephen Adah in a unanimous judgment held that the proceedings of the Federal High Court leading to the conviction of Metuh and his company, Destra Investment Limited, were tainted with bias and therefore must not be allowed to stand.
Justice Adah who delivered the lead judgment on Wednesday held that the utterances of the trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, in the course of the trial, established that he was biased against the convict.
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The Appellate Court, therefore, ordered that trial be conducted afresh.
He directed that the case file be sent back to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for reassignment to another judge other than Justice Abang.
Justice Abang had in his judgment delivered on February 25, sentenced Metuh to seven years imprisonment for fraudulently receiving N400 million from the office of the then National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retired).
He also sentenced Dextra Investment to pay a fine of N25 million with respect to counts five and six, while Metuh was also ordered to pay a fine of N375 million.
