Metuh gave me $2m cash to invest, witness tells court

Trial opened yesterday at the Federal high Court, Abuja in the money laundering charge against People’s Democratic Party (PDP) spokesman Olisa Metuh, with the prosecution calling two of its planned 18 witnesses.

The first witness, Nneka Ararume, an employee of Asset and Resource Management (ARM) Company Limited, admitted collecting $2million in cash from Metuh in his house at the Prince and Princess Estate, Abuja in one day.

Ararume, a Wealth Manager at ARM, said she collected the cash from Metuh on December 2, 2014 with an instruction to invest the money in the name of his company – Destra Investments Limited.

The witness, who said she was assigned to manage Destra Investments Limited’s funds with ARM, said she later converted the $2m with the help of two bureau de change operators.

Led in evidence by the lead prosecution lawyer, Sylvanus Tahir, the witness said: “Metuh gave me the sum of $2m in $100 bills. It was taken to bureau de change operators who would then transfer the money to ARM. From there (Metuh’s house), I proceeded to Sie Iyenome’s office at Wuse 2 where I gave him the sum of $1m.

“I also invited Mr. Kabir Mohammed and I also gave him the sum of $1m to transfer the naira equivalent in favour of Destra Investment Limited. Later on the same day, December 2, 2014, Kabir and Sie Iyenome confirmed the receipt,” Ararume said.

The defence sought an adjournment after Ararume completed her testimony.

The Nation