‘Deposit N1billion and I’ll testify’ -Ex-President Jonathan tells Metuh

Following the witness summon issued against him by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, ex-President Goodluck Jonathan who is scheduled to appear today as a defence witness in the trial of former spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Olisa Metuh, in an application filed yesterday by his lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, wants the court to void the subpoena issued on him.



However ex-President Jonathan gave a condition with the provisions of Section 241(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 for him to appear before the court.

He asked the court to direct Metuh to deposit with the court, for and on his (Jonathan’s) behalf, N1 billion to cover travelling expenses for himself and his security personnel from his home town Otuoke in Bayelsa State, to Abuja and also for time that he might spend appearing before the court as President of Nigeria between 2010 to 2015.

According to his lead counsel Ozekhome, the evidence sought to be obtained from the applicant will amount to an invasion of his personal right to privacy, and family life as provided for in Section 37 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as Metuh was not a personal aid or appointee of the applicant herein and so could not have dealt with the President directly under any circumstance to warrant the invitation of the applicant to testify in the charge.