From Godwin Tsa, Abuja

Indications emerged yesterday that former national publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh has instructed his lawyers to withdraw the subpoena he caused to be  issued against former President Goodluck Jonathan, by a Federal High Court.

The court issued the subpoena on Jonathan, so as to give evidence in the N400 million fraud case against Metuh.

Metuh and his company, Destra Investments Limited, have been charged on seven counts of money laundering, involving alleged cash transaction of $2 million and fraudulent receipt of N400 million, out of funds meant for arms procurement, from the Office of the National Security Adviser.

Justice Okon Abang had, at Metuh’s instance, given  the court bailiff five days to serve Jonathan with the subpoena, and compel him to appear in court.

Justice Abang said if after five days the bailiff was unable to serve Jonathan personally, Metuh, who was the one who applied for the subpoena, should kick-start the process of serving the ex-president through substituted means.

The court had also granted Metuh’s request to summon former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd), to appear in court, as his witness in the trial.

But, the Save Ijaw Nation Group, has accused Metuh of conniving with government against Jonathan.

Metuh gave this indications  in a statement he personally signed in Abuja, yesterday.

‘‘My attention has been drawn to a release by the Save Ijaw Nation Group wherein they alleged that the order given by the court in my trial was negotiated by me as a means of letting me “off the hook”. They also stated that I surrendered myself to be used to drag down former president Goodluck Jonathan and impugn his character and person. In the light of this and in deference to the former president, I have elected to make these clarifications personally.

“First of all, I state unequivocally that I am completely innocent of the charge against me and, therefore, have no reason to negotiate with anybody to let me off a non-existent hook.

“It is, therefore, inconceivable and completely ridiculous for anybody to think that I would, for any reason, betray or surrender myself to be used against (former) president Goodluck Jonathan, for whom I have immense respect and served diligently, without any apologies, in and out of office. To what end will I conspire with the same set of people who singled me out to be humiliated and openly handcuffed while spreading all manner of malicious stories against me, most of which they even denied outright in court while others remain completely unsubstantiated?

“Without prejudice to all the foregoing, I accept that it was the need for corroboration of lack of mens rea on my part that led my lawyers to request for the evidence of the respected former president to assist them in proving my innocence.

“However, with all the controversies arising from the reports of the said pronouncements and the attendant concerns thereof, I have instructed my legal team to revisit and review the entire issue of the subpoena.

“I habour no ill feeling or malice towards none as I believe that with time, justice will surely be done in my matter.”