A witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commissions (EFCC), Junaid Sa’id on Tuesday told Justice Okon Abang of a Federal High Court in Abuja how a total sum of $47million was withdrawn from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and disbursed to members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), including the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh for the purpose of the Party’s presidential campaign.

Sa’id an investigative officer with the anti-graft agency led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir told the court that the commission, in the course of investigation discovered how the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) under Col. Sambo Mohammed Dasuki’s leadership withdrew $47million for PDP’S campaign activities.

He said, “it was at that period that Dasuki withdrew the $47million from the CBN which was shared to members of the party for the presidential convention. The commission traced the $2 million paid to Destra Investment Limited belonging to Metuh.

“It was four days after the disbursements that Chief Metuh gave the money to his then wealth manager, Nneka Nicole Ararume”, the witness told the court.

Under cross examination by the Defence counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), the witness said Metuh had written in his statement that the monies he received from the Office of the former NSA was for campaign activities as approved by former President Goodluck Jonathan and for the payment of his personal debt.

He added that about N77.5 million was allegedly paid to one CMC Connect for campaign publicity for the PDP while N25 million was giving to one Abba Dabo, an Aide of former Vice President, Namadi Sambo for the same purpose.

He also told the court that the National Women Leader of the PDP, Kema Chikwe, got N5 million from the said money, while the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the PDP, Tony Anenih, received the sum of N21.7 billion.

The prosecution witness also told Justice Abang that N500 million was paid in two tranches to a company, Daniel Ford International, by the PDP spokesman for the purchase of a landed property at Banana Island in Lagos State.

The witness said that ‎investigations revealed that the former NSA had on November 27, 2014, made a N10 billion withdrawal from the CBN and converted same to $47 million which was shared to some PDP party members at its national convention.

According to him, “The $2 million allegedly laundered by the PDP spokesman is strongly linked to the said withdrawal and added that, “Out of the N400 million that was fraudulently transferred to Metuh and his company by the former NSA, the accused person kept N50 million for himself”.

When asked if there was any documentary evidence to substantiate his testimony, the witness ‎said that there was no documentary evidence because the whole transaction was based on physical cash.

After his testimony, the prosecution counsel, Tahir told the court that it was closing its case, after eight of the prosecution witnesses had testified since the trial begun.

The prosecution had earlier told the court that they had about 18 witnesses.

The trial judge who had earlier admitted all the documentary evidence as exhibits adjourned the case till February 18, 2016 for the defence to open its case.

EFCC, in its charge against Metuh who was arraigned along his firm, Destra Investments Limited alleged that he received N400 million, part of the money meant for the procurement of arms, from the Office of the National Security Adviser in November 2014.

‎One of the charges read in part: “That you Olisah Metuh and Destra Investment Limited on or about the 24th day of November, 2014 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the court took possession of N400 million paid into Destra Investment Limited account with Diamond Bank PLC, account number: 0040437573 from the account of the Office of the NSA without contract award when you reasonably ought to know that the said fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (rtd), then NSA (to wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) and thereby committed an offense contrat to Section 152(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act”.