By our reporter| The Court of Appeal Abuja on Wednesday nullified the conviction and seven years jail term imposed on Olisa Metuh, a former spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Metuh was earlier this year jailed by an Abuja federal high court, presided over by Justice Okon Abang for fraudulently receiving N400 million from the office of the then National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd)
Justice Stephen Adah in a unanimous judgment with two other justices of the appellate court, held that the proceedings of the Federal High Court which convicted the former PDP spokesman and his company, Destra Investment Limited, were tainted with bias and therefore must not be allowed to stand.
According to Justice Adah who delivered the lead judgement, the utterances of the trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, in the course of the trial, established that he was biased against the convicts.
The Appellate Court, therefore, ordered that trial be conducted afresh and directed that the case file be sent back to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for reassignment to another judge.
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