EFCC receives first formal petition against Jonathan; Metuh picks holes on petition
First formal petition demand the investigation of former Nigeria's President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has been made.
The petition which was allegedly submitted to the anti-graft agency this weekend asking the agency to probe ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on the alleged mismanagement of $2.1billion released to the Office of the National Security Adviser for arms purchase.
It specifically wants the EFCC to invite Jonathan for interrogation on why he made N400million public funds available to a former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olisa Metuh, for personal and private party use.
But Metuh camp has pooh-poohed the petition as trumped by the commission as a strategy to obtain conviction against the former Publicity Secretary of the PDP.
According to Metuh’s lawyer, Ben Nwosu, investigations have shown that there had never been a member of Enugu State House of Assembly by the name claimed.
The counsel claims the bearer of the petition, Barrister Ugochukwu – who claims to be representing a former lawmaker – is affiliated with the EFCC and has done work for the anti-graft agency in the past.
Ikenna Ejezie, who claimed to be a a former member of the Enugu State House of Assembly, through his counsel, Barrister Osuagwu Ugochukwu, had on May 24, 2016 petitioned the commission, copying both President Muhammadu Buhari and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mallam Abubakar Malami, were copied the petition.
The petition reads, “We are solicitors to Hon. Ikenna Ejezie hereinafter called our client and with you as he has instructed.
“Our client is requesting you to, in the public interest, invite ex-President Goodluck Jonathan for questioning and possible prosecution over his role in the misuse of $2.1billion through the Office of the National Security Adviser (Col. Sambo Dasuki rtd) and disbursement of N400million funds to Olisa Metuh for personal and private political party use.
“Our client notes that Dasuki had stated severally whilst in your commission that the $2.1billion was authorized for disbursement by ex-President Goodluck Jonathan for arms purchase, but later turned out to be for selfish purpose.
Olisa Metuh also had admitted that former President Goodluck Jonathan transferred and/ or authorized release of N400million public funds to his account for political campaign of Jonathan rather than for public interest.
“Our client informed us that the confession of Olisa Metuh is contained in his criminal statement with the EFCC.
“Our client is thus shocked that in spite of the implication of ex-President Jonathan in the current prosecution of Metuh and Dasuki, the former President has not been invited for his statement to be taken nor has he been prosecuted by the EFCC as co-accused/ defendant.
“Our client herewith requests that the ex-President be invited for questioning and to commence prosecution as he was the one who did authorize the disbursement of the $2.1billion and N400million public funds that were illegally abused and misappropriated by Dasuki and Metuh who are both standing trial in various courts in Abuja.
“Our client demands that this request be responded to within seven days from the receipt of this letter and as quickly as possible.”
The ex-President had on Monday told The Nation that he was not on exile and won't run away from any problem.
He said: “I am not on exile. I have no cause to go on exile. I was Vice President for two years and President for six years. I did everything I could and I served my country well”.
A former Minister of National Planning, Prof. Suleiman Olanrewaju Abubakar, also quoted Jonathan as saying: “I am not on exile; I can never be on exile; I am going to come back to Nigeria.
“I cannot run away from any problem; I am going to face whatever problem that exists in Nigeria.”
When contacted, a top source at the EFCC said: “We have received a copy of the letter from the affected individual, and it will be treated on its merit. Normally, once anyone drops a letter or a petition, we subject it to our due procedure of whether it has any merit or not.
“From what we have, what was sent to us was based on media reports. Those who brought the letter have not disclosed any fact yet.
“So far, they have to come up with more evidence. We will certainly demand for concrete evidence against the ex-President from the aggrieved who wrote us. And it is strange that a petitioner or an individual will have to give the EFCC a deadline to do its work.”
In a statement released on Saturday, Nwosu said the petition to EFCC is an intentional plot to distort our Metuh's defense, which has so far been honestly and sincerely presented before the court.
The statement said, “Our attention has been drawn to reports in the media regarding a petition by one Barrister Osuagwu Ugochukwu claiming to be representing a non- existent former member of the Enugu State House of Assembly, given as Ikenna Ejezie, and asking the EFCC to invite and interrogate ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on issues relating to the on-going trial of our client, Chief Olisa Metuh.”
“Whereas we note that Barrister Ugochukwu has links with the EFCC and had appeared on behalf of the commission while representing its former Chairman, Ibrahim Larmode at a hearing in the National Assembly last year, the claim that the petition is on behalf of a former member of Enugu State House of Assembly is false as no such individual ever served in that legislative house.”
“However, we have thoroughly studied the petition and for the avoidance of doubt, wish to state as follows;
1. The petition is not really against ex-President Jonathan but actually a calculated attempt targeted at swaying public sentiments and the judiciary against our client in this orchestrated and well-funded media trial. The idea is to sway the minds of the public and the court to get a conviction based more on media trial than the laws of the land.
2. It is clear that their assertion is neither based on the statement our client made at the EFCC nor on the evidence placed before the court, which has clearly established our client's case that the N400 million approved by the former president was not for personal and private use.
3. The fact that this matter is subjudice should have impressed upon the petitioners and their backers that publicizing such hoax is actually an affront to the judiciary except it is intended to cow the judiciary.
4. We are astonished as to how the petitioners would have referred to our client's statement as a confession and a criminal statement.
5. We are also not unmindful of the fact that this appears to be a vendetta by some persons to cast our client in the mold of an already guilty individual just waiting for sentencing.
6.It is therefore obvious that the sole intention of this petition is to distort our client's defense, which has so far been honestly and sincerely presented before the court.
7. Finally, we state that we support the present fight against corruption and which is needed at this time of our national development, however this should not be used by some persons as a ploy to settle personal scores.”