Olisa Metuh, former national publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was in Thursday released from Kuje prison after ten months behind the bars.
Metuh’s release from prison in Abuja where he had been doing time prior to yesterday, was sequel to annulment of his conviction by the appeal court.
Eko Hot Blog had reported how a federal high court in Abuja had on February 25 sentenced him to 39 years after he was pronounced guilty of money laundering.
Okon Abang, a judge, had found the former PDP spokesman guilty of the seven-count charge filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) which accused him of illegally receiving N400 million from the office of the national security adviser.
The appellate court, however, voided the judgement of the trial court. voided the judgement of the trial court.
Ruling on an appeal filed by Metuh, the appellate court avered that verdict of Okon Abang a judge, that incarcerated Metuh was marred by prejudice and sentiment.
“The narrative of the trial judge suggest someone who didn’t enjoy trying the appellant and counsel because he said they were picking on him,” Stephen Adah who read the court’s decision, said.
“He was struggling with the case and even wished that he should be recused out of the case. The influence from this narrative is indisputably to say the least that a trial judge was angered only in his mind that he was wrongly influenced and showed bias against the appellant in this case as this is what manifests from all the outburst, he has infused in his judgment.”
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