The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has debunked reports that a Federal High Court struck out a money laundering suit it filed against former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh.
The EFCC made this known in a statement signed by its Head, Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren on Monday night.
Several media reports on Monday stated that the FHC sitting in Abuja and presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite struck out the seven-court charge in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CR/05/2022 and filed by the EFCC against Metuh.
The Punch reported that Justice Nwite termed the suit “an abuse of court process,” adding that “while the matter was pending before the Supreme Court, it was a gross abuse of the court for the commission to have filed the same matter for retrial” before him.
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However, the EFCC said in its statement that the reports were a “gross misrepresentation” of the status of the case.
“The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to some reports in the media, alleging that, the Federal High Court (FHC) sitting in Abuja, on Monday, September 26, 2022, ‘struck out a suit filed by the Commission against former National Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Olisa Metuh, for retrial.
“We wish to state unequivocally that, there is no modicum of truth in those reports. Metuh’s case is presently pending before the Supreme Court, arising from the appeal by the Commission, as well as his own cross appeal, upon the judgment of the Court of Appeal which nullified the judgment of the trial court on alleged grounds of bias. There is, therefore, no pending case before the Federal High Court to warrant striking out of the same.
“It bears reiterating that, the EFCC, has no fresh application for retrial of Metuh before the court. There can be no striking out of a suit that was not initiated or filed before the court. Any report of striking out of a suit filed by the EFCC on Metuh, is a gross misrepresentation of the status of the case and the public is enjoined to ignore such reports.
“The EFCC is awaiting the judgment of the apex court, against the discharge of Metuh, by the Court of Appeal, in the N400 million money laundering charges instituted against him.
“The Commission will do nothing to abuse processes of the court, as it remains committed to total respect for the rule of law,” the statement read.