The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday ordered that the criminal trial of a former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olisa Metuh, would now proceed in his absence.
Justice Okon Abang, in his ruling granting the application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, said the court was entitled to proceed with the trial in Metuh’s absence considering the defendant’s previous several attempts to frustrate the trial and his conduct after he fell in court on Monday.
He, therefore, fixed Thursday for the continuation of the trial.
He ruled that Metuh’s absence from court on Tuesday and also on Wednesday without any reasonable explanation to justify it amounted to a violation of the bail granted him.
The judge ruled, “The application by the prosecution deserves to succeed.
“The trial shall proceed in the absence of the defendant.
“See Section 266(a) and Section 352(4) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.”
Metuh, who with his company, Destra Investment Limited, is being prosecuted by the EFCC for the N400m he allegedly received fraudulently from the Office of the National Security Adviser in 2014, fell after taking some steps towards the dock on Monday.
The court also summoned the General Manager of the Channels Television in Abuja and a presenter with the television, Mrs. Maupe Ogun-Yusuf, to appear before the court on May 25.
The judge said the television’s employees were being summoned following the prosecution’s allegation that the television aired prejudicial statements made concerning Metuh’s trial by a lawyer in the defence team, Mr. Ben Chuks Nwosu, during the medium’s Tuesday’s edition of Sunrise Daily.
The judge clarified that the summons was necessary to uphold the sanctity of the court’s proceedings.
He said it did not imply the commencement of contempt proceedings against the two persons but that it was meant to give them the opportunity to defend themselves against the allegation that their medium was used to air prejudicial statements in respect of Metuh’s trial.
The judge, however, said whether or not it would be elevated to contempt proceedings would be determined by the outcome of the explanations offered by the two persons.
He ordered them to produce the “master tape” of the recording of the Tuesday’s Sunrise Daily.
