The Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal by a former Spokesperson for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Olisa Metuh, seeking to upturn the decision of a Federal High Court, Abuja, not to release his international passport for him to travel abroad.
Mr Metuh who is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for alleged N400 million fraud had on February 22, 2017, through his counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, applied for the release of his passport in order for him to “travel to the United Kingdom for five weeks to attend to his failing health”.
In a statement by the acting Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Tony Orilade, said Justice Okon Abang had dismissed the application as “lacking in merit”.
The statement quoted Mr Abang as sternly warned his counsel against deploying tactics to delay the trial, which has been ongoing since January 6, 2016.
Dissatisfied with the ruling, Mr Metuh had approached the Appellate Court, praying for the release of his travel document.
The Court of Appeal, however, on January 30, 2019 ruled that his application was “an abuse of court process”, as he failed to disclose cogent reasons for him to seek medical attention abroad.
His trial before Justice Abang continues on February 25, 2019.
