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Nigeria’s anti-corruption body, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has filed a suit against British national Mr James Nolan at a Federal High Court in Abuja.
A United Kingdom Judge, Robin Knowles of the Business and Property Court in London, on Monday, October 23, 2023, dismissed the $6.6 billion judgment against Nigeria, won by the Process & Industry Development (P&ID Ltd) over a failed 2010 deal to develop a gas processing plant in the country.
The UK court upheld that the project was obtained by fraud and that what happened in the case was contrary to public policy.
The EFCC had been embroiled in a legal tussle with P&ID over a $9 billion judgment against Nigeria, which had risen to $10 billion.
P&ID claimed Nigeria violated the terms of its agreement by failing to provide gas for the power plant it wanted to build for the country.
According to Channel TV, the lawyer who represented the anti-graft agency, Mr Bala Sanga, led the 1st prosecution witness (PW1), Mr Temitope Erinomo, an Assistant Chief Complaint Officer with the anti-graft agency in evidence.
Erinomo, who works in the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering, testified in court that he was part of the team that investigated the criminal charges filed against Micad Project City Services Ltd and Nolan.
Nolan, a director at Process and Industrial Development Limited (P&ID), skipped bail and stopped appearing in court in 2022.
Although Nolan was not present in court, his lawyer, Mr Michael Ajara, announced his appearance.
Ajara informed the court that Nolan was ill and would therefore be unable to cross-examine PW1.
As a result, he requested an adjournment.
Sanga did not object to the application, and the matter was subsequently delayed until January 16, 17, and 18 for cross-examination and trial continuation.
On July 6, Justice Obiora Egwuatu ordered a surety, Mr George Kadiri, to forfeit his N100 million bail bond to the Nigerian Government due to his failure to present the fleeing British national, Nolan, in court.
In a ruling, Justice Egwuatu also ordered Mr Kadiri, a retired civil servant, who was absent in court, to be remanded in prison custody until the payment of the N100 million was made.