The Court of Appeal has set aside the indictments delivered against the National Security Adviser, retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki, in a judgment by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja which convicted and sentenced a former spokesperson of the opposition PDP Olisa Metuh, for money laundering.
A three-man panel led by Justice Stephen Adah held in a unanimous judgment delivered, on Wednesday, that the Federal High Court made damaging comments against Mr Dasuki without giving him a fair hearing.
Justice Adah held that Mr Dasuki not being charged as a co-defendant in the case or given any opportunity to defend himself was wrong.
The appellate court therefore ordered that all the lines in the judgment where Dasuki was indicted be expunged and nullified.
The panel had in an earlier judgment on Wednesday set aside Metuh’s conviction on the grounds of bias shown by the trial judge Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court.
The Court of Appeal also nullified the conviction of Metuh to a seven years imprisonment imposed on him by the same Justice Abang over alleged money laundering and corruption charges.
The nullification of his conviction is coming after 10 months of his jail term.
The three man panel of the appellate also court nullified Metuh’s conviction on account of glaring bias by the trial judge, Justice Okon Abang.
Justice Stephen Adah, who delivered the judgment of the appellate court subsequently ordered a return of the case to the Federal High Court for fresh hearing by another judge.
Justice Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja had in a judgment delivered on February 25, this year, found Metuh guilty of money laundering charges preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and subsequently sentenced him to 7 years imprisonment.
Dissatisfied, Mr Metuh had in February approached the appellate court seeking to upturn Mr Abang’s decision based on 10 grounds of appeal.
