Ill-health stalls Metuh’s trial

The trial of the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olisah Metuh, was stalled on Tuesday at a Federal High Court in Abuja due to his absence in court.
Metuh’s counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), informed the trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, that the defendant was on a bed rest at the National Hospital, Abuja due to ill health.
Copy of medical report signed by a neurosurgery consultant in the hospital, Dr. O.O Olaleye, confirming that Metuh is in the hospital, was brought to the court.
Ikpeazu, who sought an adjournment of the case, said the situation in section 352(4) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, in which the judge is allowed to proceed with a criminal trial without the defendant present in court, had not arisen.
Both counsel for Destra Tochukwu Nwugbufor (SAN), and the Prosecuting counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, did not oppose the application for adjournment .
The judge, in a ruling, noted that though Metuh had good reason to be absent from court, but the medical report failed to indicate the period which the bed rest would last.
The judge said the omission of the period for the bed rest in the medical report had left doubt as to whether the report was issued in bad faith and adjourned the matter to May 30.