Until DSS releases me, I can’t give details of money I gave Metuh –Dasuki

A former National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki who appeared in court today contended that he cannot give details of how much he gave a former National Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh.

According to him, as long as the Department of State Security (DSS) continues to hold him against subsisting court orders, he would have no access to documents containing the details of his transactions with Metuh.

Dasuki entered the witness box on Wednesday as Metuh’s eighth defence witness.

The trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, had ordered him to enter the witness box having sacked his application praying that the order compelling him to appear in court be set aside pending the determination of his motion in relation to the subpoena before the Court of Appeal.

The former NSA has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since December 2015, but was produced in court by the agency’s operatives sequel to the order of the court.

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The court had following Metuh’s prayer to issue a subpoena mandating Dasuki to come and testify in his trial, ordered the DSS to produce him in court.

However Dasuki, while being questioned by Metuh’s lawyer‎, Mr. Emeka Etiaba (SAN), told the court that he could not remember the details of the payment of N400 million, which is part of the charges the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) instituted against Metuh.

The former NSA explained that being incarcerated for about two years that he had been denied access to documents which could assist him to give any meaningful evidence.

He contended that it will be very difficult for him “to give any details of the money paid to Chief Olisa Metuh and the second defendant (Destra Investment Limited) without reference to my records. Three years is a long time.”

On when it could be possible for him to access his records, he said, “I have stated earlier that I have been in custody for two years. As soon as authorities decide to obey the subsisting court orders.

“I have four bail court orders and an ECOWAS Court ruling. When they release me, I can go through the records. That is when I will be able to give a timeline. As long as I am in detention, the answer is I don’t know.”

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