A Federal High Court in Abuja has found a former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olisah Metuh, and his firm, Dextra Investments Limited guilty in the first of the seven counts instituted against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)

In a judgment still being read by Justice Okon Abang, the judge, while concluding his findings in relation to the first count, found that a former National Security Adviser (NSA),Sambo Dasuki unlawfully transferred the sum of N400 million to the defendants in November 2014.

Justice Abang held that Metuh and his firm reasonably ought to have known that the sum of N400 million paid to them formed part of the proceeds of the unlawful activity of the ex-NSA because they had no form of a contractual relationship with the ONSA.

He held that Dasuki transferred the money to the defendants “in breach of public trust”.

The judge rejected the defence’s argument that the defendants could not be convicted for the money laundering offence because Dasuki, who is currently being prosecuted, had yet to be convicted for the predicate offence of breach of trust and corruption.

Justice Abang held that contrary to the adefence’s contention “the predicate offence and the money laundering offence are intertwined.

“The success or failure of the predicate offence does not determine the success or failures of the money laundering offence,” he said.