Former President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday challenged the witness summon issued on him past times a Federal High Court sitting inward Abuja to look today to prove every bit a defense forcefulness witness inward the trial of sometime spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh.
The witness summon (subpoena) was issued on Jonathan in addition to sometime National Security Adviser (NSA), Mohammed Dasuki upon asking past times Metuh, who is existence tried amongst his fellowship Destra Investment Limited, over alleged coin laundering offences.
In an application filed yesterday past times his lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, Jonathan peculiarly wants the courtroom to void the subpoena issued on him.
Dasuki has every bit good appealed the determination past times the trial approximate inward the Metuh case, Justice Okon Abang, rejecting his asking to laid upward aside the summon issued on him.
Jonathan inward the application asked the courtroom for an guild to laid upward aside the issuance in addition to service of the ‘subpoena advertizing testifiandum’ issued on Oct 23 for the exercise of his appearance inward courtroom in addition to give evidence inward the proceeding inward accuse No: FHC/ABJ/CR/05/2016.
Alternatively, Jonathan prayed the courtroom to conduct Metuh to deposit amongst the court, for in addition to on his (Jonathan’s) behalf, N1 billion solely inward line, amongst the provisions of Section 241(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 to encompass travelling expenses for himself in addition to his safety personnel from his abode town Otuoke inward Bayelsa State, to Abuja in addition to every bit good for fourth dimension that he mightiness pass appearing earlier the courtroom every bit President of Nigeria betwixt 2010 to 2015.
In his dry soil of application Ozekhome submitted that the evidence sought to live on obtained from the applicant volition amount to an invasion of his personal correct to privacy, in addition to menage unit of measurement life every bit provided for inward Section 37 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.
In addition, he submitted that the evidence sought to live on obtained from the applicant is probable to bring out the applicant to a criminal charge, penalization or forfeiture.
He farther argued that the subpoena is vague in addition to applied for in addition to obtained of frivolous grounds in addition to inward bad organized religious belief every bit it was meant to embarrass the individual of the applicant.
Jonathan contended that Metuh was non a personal assistance or appointee of the applicant herein in addition to and then could non convey dealt amongst the President straight nether whatever circumstance to warrant the invitation of the applicant to prove inward the charge.
He argued that at that spot is no nexus betwixt the applicant in addition to Metuh in addition to the accuse for which Metuh is standing trial.