- As Metuh vomits in court, stalls trial
An EgyptAir flight, MS804, with 66 passengers on board went missing in the early hours of Thursday over the Mediterranean en route from Paris to Cairo, Egypt.
The Egyptian Civil Aviation Minister, Sherif Fathi, said the crash was likely caused by a terror attack rather than a technical error, USA Today reports.
The flight was said to have made two sharp turns before it suddenly lost altitude and vanished from radar.
Greek authorities had found floating materials, including life vests, likely to be the wreckage from the plane, adding that the debris was found near the Greek island of Karpathos.
French President, François Hollande, confirmed the disappearance of the airliner but said it was too early to determine the cause of the crash.
Egyptian and Greek authorities said the plane likely went down near the Greek island of Crete. Greek TVreported two floating orange objects that could be airplane debris were spotted in the ocean 50 miles south-east of the area where the plane vanished from radar about 174 miles off the Egyptian coast.
Greek civil aviation authorities said all appeared fine with the flight until air traffic controllers were preparing to hand it over to their Egyptian counterparts. The pilot did not respond to their calls, and the aircraft then vanished from radar just after entering the Egyptian airspace.
Greek Defence Minister, Panos Kammenos, said, “It turned 90 degrees left and then a 360-degree turn toward the right, dropping from 38,000 to 15,000 feet and then it was lost at about 10,000 feet.”
About 40 minutes before the plane vanished, Greek air traffic controllers said the pilot reported no problems as he flew over the Greek island of Kea, according to a statement by the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority.
In the meantime, trial of the embattled National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olisa yesterday has been stalled, following his ill health. The matter, which is before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, was adjourned for continuation of cross examination of third defence witness, Dr. Doyin Okupe.
At the resumed hearing of the proceedings yesterday, counsel to Metuh, Emeka Etiaba, SAN, informed the court that he received a call in the early hours of the day that Metuh was rushed to the National Hospital, Abuja at about 1a.m.
“I was informed early hours of Thursday about the ill health of Metuh. I was told that he was rushed to the National hospital at about 1a.m. and I responded that whatever it takes, he must be in court for the trial. “I drove into the court this morning and Metuh was at the car park in a car.
“On getting there, I realised he had vomited profusely and his brother in law, Mr. Andrew, narrated how they went to the hospital last night from their residence at Prince and Princess Estate. “On getting there, the only medical officer at the hospital announced to them that they were on strike, but administered an injection and drugs to Metuh.” Etiaba told the court that Metuh left hospital at about 3:30a.m. and was advised to return at 8a.m. because the hospital beds were not on good shape to keep him on admission because of the strike.
While informing the presiding judge, Justice Okon Abang, that Metuh was on prescription and was expected to take his drugs at intervals, Etiaba prayed the court for an adjournment to enable his client attend to his health, adding that it is only the living that can stand trial.
“The implication is that even if Metuh is here, he will not be able to take a particular pain killer by 11a.m. “I therefore prayed the court to grant our request because this is a life threatening situation. The first defendant needs to stay alive to face his trial,” he said.
Prosecution counsel, Silvanus Tahir, who did not opposed the application for adjournment expressed sympathy with Metuh. Justice Abang, in his ruling on the application, however, held that there was no evidence before the court on the ill health of Metuh. “It would have been proper for the medical practitioner, who had given treatment to Metuh to have been present in court or to have given statement on oath.
“However, at the discretion of the court, I will grant the application for adjournment,” he said. He adjourned the trial to May 24, for further cross examination of the third defence witness. It would be recalled that Okupe, who was a former Special Assistant to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, had told the court that the N400m paid to Metuh for the 2015 campaign was from the purse of PDP.
Metuh and his company, Destra Investment Limited are standing trial for allegedly receiving the N400m from the Office of National Security Adviser, ONSA, to fund the 2015 presidential election of the PDP. Meanwhile, an operative of the Department of State Service, DSS, Mr. Williams Obiora yesterday told the ECOWAS Court sitting in Abuja that the security details, including soldiers attached to the former National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki had not been withdrawn when his Asokoro residence in Abuja was searched over allegations of unlawful possession of arms last year.
Obiora, the first prosecution witness, who was testifying before the court, said a retinue of security agents, mainly soldiers were still guarding Dasuki, when DSS operatives stormed the house in search of weapons. Led in evidence by Federal Government lawyer, Mr. Damian Agbe to justify Dasuki’s detention since December 2015, Obiora told the regional court that the former NSA was arrested and kept in custody for two reasons.
Among others, the witness claimed that the Dasuki was being kept in custody for his personal security in view of allegations against him on arms purchase and to also prevent him from possible escape from justice. On whether Dasuki requested DSS for protection, Obiora said he was not aware as to whether the accused made any such request.
“He does not need to make a request before we give him protection if his life is in danger, and we owe him a responsibility to ensure he suffers no harm,” he said.
Obiora also agreed that Dasuki’s detention was not pursuant to any judicial proceedings. Dasuki’s lawyer, Roberts Emukperuo, however, said there was no need keeping Dasuki in protective custody because he never requested protection from DSS or anybody.
Emukperuo tendered affidavit evidence by DSS confirming that as at 24 August, 2015, the DSS had completed the investigation of Dasuki. “If it (case) had been concluded there was no need re-arresting him,” he said. Emukperuo said the oral evidence given by the defence was mostly at variance with the documents filed before the court. According to him, a party must be consistent in stating, proving and arguing his case.
“He cannot state one case in his pleading and in the process of arguing it, he takes a somersault,” he declared, Emukperuo further averred that the evidence of Mr. Obiora alluded to only two reasons why the applicant was detained. Having listened to submissions by both parties, the presiding judge, Justice Friday Nwoke fixed June 29 for judgment.
Punch with additional report from National Mirror
