Dr Doyin Okupe, former Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan, told Federal High Court, Abuja on Wednesday that the former President told him that he gave the sum of N400 million to Olisa Metuh, the National Publicity Secretary of Peoples Democratic Party.
The funds, he said was to be used to prosecute a publicity blitz for the party ahead of the 2015 general elections.
Okupe was a defence witness in the ongoing trial of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and corruption by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
According to the former presidential aide, the President had earlier promised to give Metuh the funds after a presentation was made to him on the publicity campaign at Aso Rock Presidential Villa.
Speaking while being cross examined by Onyechi Ikpeazu, the lead defence counsel, Okupe said “Yes, around that time (November 2014) there was very deep concern in the Presidency and the government about the perception of Mr President and his administration, negative perception by the Nigerian public.
“This also included some perceived ineffectiveness of the administration and also a wrong perception in some parts of the country about the role of government and its actions or activities concerning the very security situation in the country then.
“Therefore, in government, there was a general feeling that some actions needed to be taken urgently to address these issues, especially because of the coming elections.
“It was in the course of my discussion with Mr President when I also expressed my own personal concerns too that he informed me that Chief Olisah Metuh had some suggestions.
“And that he (Jonathan) had instructed him to bring a proposition on what he considered needed to be done and that when this is done, he would inform me so that we can go through it together.
“Shortly after that, I was invited to a meeting in the State house where Chief Metuh in company of some consultants made presentations to the president.
He added that apart from the President, the Vice President, Senate President, the National Chairman of PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, former Gov Liyel Imoke of Cross River State and Peter Obi of Anambra State were also at the meeting.
Metuh continued his evidence in chief: “The President comes in. After the usual exchange of pleasantries, Mr President gave a short briefing in line with what I said earlier.
“He then asked Olisah and his consultant to make their presentation which they did. After the presentations, there were comments form those who attended the meeting to add or improve in certain areas where they felt was important.
“In closing, the presentation was approved for action and the President said Mr. Metuh will be given part of the money that was in budget for the execution of the project. We all left.
On how he knew if Metuh was indeed given the money he was promised by former President, Metuh said:
“Yes, I know from two sources. First was the President himself who told me that he had instructed that Chief Metuh be mobilised. And that was during breakfast with Mr President one morning. He told me that he had instructed that Chief Metuh be mobilised with N400 million.
“The following day, very early in the morning, I got a call from Chief Metuh who told me that he has received N400 million from the President.
He added that consequent upon the receipt of the money, Metuh set up a very large committee of various people, former editors, resource persons in line with media, publicity, image management who he said did quite substantial amount of work.
“Some of the substantial results were security related but others that have to do with image and perception yielded result because we have a feedback mechanism.”
In the first four of the seven counts he was being tried for, EFCC accused Metuh of receiving N400 million from Mr. Dasuki.
Some of the charges read:
“That you Olisa Metuh and Destra Investment Limited, on or about 24th November 2014 in Abuja, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable court, took possession of the sum of N400, 000 000:00 (Four hundred Million Naira) only, paid into the account of DESTRA INVESTMENTS limited with Diamond Bank Plc, with account number: 0040437573, from the account of the office of the National Security Adviser with the Central Bank of Nigeria without contract award when you reasonably ought to have known that the said fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (Rtd.); the then National Security Adviser (To wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under section 15(3) of the same Act.
“That you Olisa Metuh and Destra Investment Limited, on or about 24th November, 2014 in Abuja, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable court converted the sum of N400, 000 00: 00 (Four Hundred Million Naira only) which sum was received from the office of the National Security Adviser with the Central Bank of Nigeria without contract award, which you claimed to have received for political activities of the People Democratic Party when you reasonably ought to have known that the said funds form part of the proceeds of an illegal activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (Rtd.) the then National Security Adviser, (To wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011, as amended in 2012 and punishable under section 15(3) of the same Act.
“That you Olisa Metuh and Destra Investment Limited on, or about the 24th November, 2014 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court, did retain the sum of N400, 000 000: 00 (Four Hundred Million naira only), on behalf of the Peoples Democratic Party for its campaign by concealing the said sum in your account, with Diamond Bank Plc, when you reasonably ought to have known that the said funds form part of the proceeds of an illegal activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (Rtd.) the then National security adviser, (To wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 17(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011, as amended in 2012 and punishable under section 17(b) of the same act.
“That you Olisa Metuh and Destra Investments Limited, sometime between November 2014 and March 2015, in Abuja, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable court, having reason to know that an aggregate sum of N400 000 000:00 (Four Hundred Million Naira only) directly represented the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col. Sambo Dasuki (Rtd), the then National Security Adviser, (to: with criminal breach of trust and corruption) in respect to the same amount, used the said fund for the campaign activities of the Peoples Democratic Party and other personal purposes and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011, as amended in 2012 and punishable under section 15(3) and (4) of the same act”.
Counts five and six deal with accusation of money laundering:
“That you Olisa Metuh and Destra Investments Limited, on or before the 22nd of December 2014 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did make a cash payment through your agent, one Nneka Nicole Ararume to one Kabiru Ibrahim; a none Financial institution to the tune of $1, 000 000:00 USD, (One million United States Dollars) only, and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011, as amended in 2012 and punishable under section 16(2)(b) of the same Act”.
“That you Olisa Metuh and Destra Investments Limited, on or before the 22nd of December 2014 in Abuja, within the Jurisdiction of this honourable court did make a cash payment through your agent, one Nneka Nicole Ararume to one Sie Iyenome of Capital Field Investment, to the tune of $1, 000 000:00 USD, (One million United States Dollars) only, and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011, as amended in 2012 and punishable under section 16(2)b of the same Act.