Metuh’s Trial: Jonathan Demands N1 Billion To Appear In Court

Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan has demanded the sum of N1 billion as “travelling, security and logistics” allowance before he can appear in court to testify in the ongoing trial of Olisah Metuh.

Jonathan said this after Justice Okon Abang ordered the ex-president to appear before him to testify in the trail of Metuh.

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Metuh, who was former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had filed an application before Justice Abang, asking the court to order the ex-president to testify in his N400 million money laundering trial.

But in an application filed on his behalf by his lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), Jonathan asked the court to set aside the subpoena issued against him or order Metuh to pay the said N1 billion into his account to cover his traveling and security expenses from Otuoke in Bayelsa State to Abuja, where the court is resident.

The ex-president’s application reads in part:

“That he (Jonathan ) as the then President of the Federal Republic (2010 – 2015 ), appointed ministers and different persons to carry out the day-to-day running of the government activities and such appointees are those who directly related with the President and not third parties, such as the 2 nd respondent.

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“That it is such appointees that can explain daily government’s transactions which they directly supervised and not the President who was the overall boss.

“That the 2nd respondent, Olisa Metuh, was never at any time a personal aide or appointee of the applicant.

“That he (Jonathan ) knows nothing about the seven charges for which the 1 st defendant/ 2 nd respondent is standing trial before this court and has absolutely nothing to testify about before this court.

“ The he, as a former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in the event that this honourable court refuses prayer one on the motion paper, shall require the sum of N1,000,000,000.00 (one billion naira) only, to cover travelling expenses for himself and his security personnel, from his home town Otuoke, in Bayelsa State, to Abuja, and also for logistics, and provision of tight security to cover any period of time that he might spend appearing before this court as President of Nigeria between 2010 and 2015.

“That Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, OFR, the lead counsel in this matter, informed me under the same circumstances stated in paragraph 4 above, and I verily believe him, that by virtue of the provisions of section 241(2 ) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, the applicant is not bound to attend to court except the 2 nd respondent herein (Olisa Metuh), who applied for the issuance of subpoena ad testificandum on him, pays for his travelling expenses.”

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Jonathan said asking him to appear before the court will amount to the invasion of his privacy, and that of his family as provided in Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

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