A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday granted bail to the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olisa Metuh, in the sum of N400m with two sureties in the sum of N200m each.
Justice Okon Abang, in a ruling shortly after Metuh’s bail application was argued on Tuesday, also ordered that the two sureties must own property in Maitama, Abuja.
The judge also ruled that the sureties must produce the certificates of occupancy of the property which must be verified by the Chief Registrar of the court and confirmed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The judge, who also ordered that Metuh must deposit his traveling documents with the court pending the period of his trial, also ordered the EFCC to verify the residences of the sureties who must be resident in Abuja.
Justice Abang had on January 15 ordered the PDP spokesperson to be remanded in Kuje prison shortly after his arraignment on seven counts of money laundering preferred against him by the EFCC.
The EFCC alleged in the charges that Metuh, who was arraigned along a firm, Destra Investments Ltd, received N400m, part of the money meant for the procurement of arms, from the Office of the National Security Adviser in November 2014.
The judge ordered on Tuesday that Metuh, who appeared before the court in handcuffs for the bail hearing, ordered that the PDP spokesperson should not be released from custody until he met the bail conditions.
But he was still on the court premises guarded by prison officials as of the time of filing this report at 4pm.
By Ade Adesomoju of the Punchng.com
