The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja ‎has rejected an application by the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Olisa Metuh, asking to be allowed to travel abroad for medical treatment.

Metuh’s trial was stalled on Tuesday, May 24 after his lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) informed the court that Metuh could not make it to court because he has been placed on bed rest at the National Hospital, Abuja.

Ikpeazu tendered a medical report signed by one Dr. O.O Oyeyele, a consultant neurosurgeon at the National Hospital Abuja, but the trial Judge Justice Okon Abang pointed out that the doctor’s report did not specify the duration of the bed rest, and adjourned the matter to Monday, May 30 for trial, while fixing Wednesday, May 25 to deliver his ruling on Metuh’s request to seek medical treatment abroad.

Delivering the ruling on Wednesday, Justice ‎Abang said that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the application because there was a subsisting order directing Metuh to deposit his international passport with the court as one of the requirements for his bail.

He pointed out that the order had not been set aside and since the defendant did not apply to vary the bail conditions, the court would not grant the defendant’s request.

“This is not a case of sympathy, but a case of law.‎ The application lacks merit. It is accordingly dismissed. The court cannot set aside its decision.”

Metuh, together with his company, Destra Investments Limited, is being charged by The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for collecting the sum of N400 million from the Office of the National Security Adviser in November 2014 in order to prosecute the presidential campaign of the PDP.