Former Senior Special Assistant to ex president Goodluck Jonathan, Doyin Okupe, on Wednesday told the Justice Okon Abang of the  Federal High Court sitting in Abuja that the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Olisa Metuh, was paid N400 million, apparently to boost the image of the president.

Metuh and his company, Destra Investment Limited, are being tried on a seven-count charge by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for their involvement in the $2.1 billion arms deal.

He is accused of receiving N400 million from former National Security Adviser, NSA, Sambo Dasuki, a retired Colonel.

Earlier on Tuesday, May 17, 2016, Colex Ifeanyi Odenigbo, a consultant with Q-time Nigeria Limited, who was presented by the defence had told the court that the sum of N450 million was remitted to Destra Nig Limited from the Office of the NSA, but he doesn’t know the source of the money.

When the trial resumed on Wednesday, Doyin Okupe, who was led in evidence by Metu’s counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, explained that he was part of a meeting in which then President Jonathan said he would make funds available for Metuh to carry out a project to make him more acceptable to the people.

Okupe also explained how Metuh called him the next day to say his account had been credited with N400 million.

But while being cross examined by counsel to the EFCC, Sylvanus Tahir, Okupe said government institutions and agencies were not part of the organs of the party.

One of the exhibits, an e-payment mandate from the Office of the NSA, with details of a transfer of N400 million to Destra Investment Limited, was shown to Okupe but he said he did not understand the document.

Ikpeazu sought for an adjournment of the case, citing his client’s health challenge.

Justice Abang adjourned the case to Thursday.