Bank staff says Metuh ran 5 accounts, as court varies bail conditions
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An official of Diamond Bank
Plc, Eno-Mfon Effiong, yesterday, told the Federal High Court sitting in
Abuja that the National Publicity Secretary of Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, who is facing trial over alleged N400
million fraud, ran five separate accounts with the bank.
Olisa Metuh
Effiong, who told the court that she was the account officer to
Metuh’s firm, Destra Investment Limited, explained that the company
already had a balance of N6,676,576 in its account, prior to the date
the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, credited it with N400
million on November 24, 2014.
The witness, who testified as the PW-3 yesterday, said she was not
surprised by “the credit inflows” into the account, 0040437573,
considering that both Metuh and his firm were regarded by the bank as
“high network customers.”
She explained that high network customers were those that have high
credit inflow into their accounts, saying “this is usually because the
person is either a captain of industry, a high earning individual or an
established businessman.”
Effiong told the court that she had been managing Destra’s account since it was opened on February 10, 2013.
Meanwhile, a move by the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Sylvanus Tahir to
tender the bank account details and correspondence between Diamond Bank
and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, pertaining to the
financial status of the firm, was opposed by Metuh’s lawyer, Mr. Emeka
Etiaba (SAN).
Etiaba complained that some of the documents did not fulfill the
provisions of the Evidence Act as they were not tendered through those
that made them.
However, Justice Okon Abang dismissed the objection, stressing that
the said error did not affect the probative value or weight of the
evidence contained in the document.
Consequently, the court admitted the letters EFCC wrote to Diamond
Bank, the bank’s response and a Certificate of Identification, dated
January 11, 2015, signed by one Matilda Obigho of Compliance Department
of the bank, into evidence.
Also, application for variation of the bail conditions, imposed on Metuh January 19, was moved in court yesterday by Mr. Etiaba.
He pleaded with the court to vary some of the terms, especially the
aspect that made it mandatory that his sureties must own landed
properties at the Maitama district of Abuja.
Delivering his bench ruling yesterday, Justice Abang said he was minded to exercise his discretion in favour of the defendant.
Consequently, the court modified the bail conditions and held that
the proposed sureties should be owners of verifiable landed properties
in any district of the Federal Capital Territory.
The court, however, refused to cancel the aspect of the conditions
that gave EFCC the nod to verify and confirm that Metuh has fulfilled
the bail conditions.
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