Counsel to former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Barrister Ben Nwosu, has decried alleged attempt by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to sway public sentiments and the judiciary against Chief Olisah Metuh in what he called the “orchestrated and well-funded media trial,” using a fictitious petition.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Nwosu lamented that one Barrister Osuagwu Ugochukwu, the initiator of the petition purportedly asking the EFCC to invite and interrogate ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on issues relating to the on-going trial of Metuh had links with the EFCC.
“The idea is to sway the minds of the public and the court to get a conviction based more on media trial than the laws of the land,” he said.
According to him, the said Barr Ugochukwu had appeared on behalf of the commission while representing its former Chairman, Ibrahim Larmode, at a hearing in the National Assembly last year.
He also said the claim that the petition was on behalf of a former member of the Enugu state House of Assembly, given as Ikenna Ejezie, was false as no such individual ever served in that legislative house.
“Whereas we note that Barrister Ugochukwu has links with the EFCC and had appeared on behalf of the commission while representing its former Chairman, Ibrahim Larmode at a hearing in the National Assembly last year, the claim that the petition is on behalf of a former member of Enugu state House of Assembly is false as no such individual ever served in that legislative house.”
It read in part: “The fact that this matter is subjudice should have impressed upon the petitioners and their backers that publicising such hoax is actually an affront to the judiciary except it is intended to cow the judiciary.
“We are astonished as to how the petitioners would have referred to our client’s statement as a confession and a criminal statement.
“We are also not unmindful of the fact that this appears to be a vendetta by some persons to cast our client in the mold of an already guilty individual just waiting for sentencing.
“It is, therefore, obvious that the sole intention of this petition is to distort our client’s defence, which has so far been honestly and sincerely presented before the court.”
