PDP Spokesman, Metuh’s Company Collected Money From Dasuki Without Executing Any Contract, Says Witness

Baleh Ndam, a legal officer in the office of the national security adviser (ONSA), on Tuesday claimed that Destra Investment Limited; a company owned by Olisa Metuh, spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was among a list of 78 companies that received money from Sambo Dasuki, former NSA, without an award of contracts. Ndam, who said he started working in the legal department of the ONSA in 2012, claimed:

“On November 28, 2015, the national security adviser forwarded a letter entitled ‘Payment to companies without contract awards’ to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). There were 78 companies, and Destra Investment Limited was one of them. “Following the letter, the EFCC sent a letter to the ONSA requesting for e-payment mandates of these companies; their letter was on January 13, 2016.”

However, Onyechi Ikpeazu, counsel to Metuh, objected to the claim of the witness, arguing that the e-payment mandates were not admissible in court because they were computer generated, hence they must come from “the maker”. He therefore urged the court to reject the document as evidence in the case.

But Sylvanus Tahir, counsel to the EFCC, described Ikpeazu’s objection as “highly misconceived”. He argued that all documents tendered before the court were relevant in the case. “We urge your lordship to discountenance the objection,” he said.