Judge adjourns Olisa Metuh’s trial after he arrived in ambulance, stretcher

Olisa Metuh arrived the Federal High Court in Abuja via an ambulance and was carried into the court room with the aid of a stretcher

The trial of former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, spokesman Olisa Metuh has been adjourned by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja after he arrived the court premise on a stretcher.

Metuh through his lawyer Onyeachi Ikpeazu (SAN) had earlier told the court that he was on admission at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Specialist hospital, Nnewi, Anambra state and wanted the case adjourned.

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But on January 25, Justice Abang gave an order that Metuh show up for trial or he risk being arrested.

The judge said that the letter which Metuh wanted the court to rely on to grant the adjournment was not a proper document before the court.

“I agree with the prosecution that the purported letter written by Dr O.C. Ekweogwu, who is unknown to the court, is trash and a useless paper meant for the dustbin, which was dumped on the court by the defence.

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“The said letter was fraudulently smuggled into the records of the court by a person unknown to the court with the intent to stall proceedings.”

The judge said that there was a laid down procedure for filing a medical report in court.

He said it was not the place of a medical practitioner to write a lengthy letter with several medical terms that were meaningless to the court.

“The medical practitioner is to state the name of the illness and the period that the person will be incapacitated.”

The judge further said that although the application by the prosecution to revoke Metuh’s bail and commit him to prison deserved to succeed, he would not grant it based on compassionate grounds.

“It is my humble view that the application of the prosecution to revoke the defendant’s bail deserves to succeed, but I have given due consideration to the arguments of counsel to the defendant.