December 13, (THEWILL) –Â The Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja has fixed February 14, 2022, for the commencement of the trial of a British national, James Nolan, over allegations bordering on money laundering.
Justice Donatus Okorowo fixed the date after the valedictory court session held on Monday in honour of the former Chief Judge of the FHC, late Adamu Abdu-Kafarati.
Nolan was re-arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on an amended 32-count charge on October 18 before Justice Okorowo for his involvement in the controversial contract awarded to Process and Industrial Development Limited (P&ID).
Nolan, the third defendant, was re-arraigned alongside the two companies, Goidel Resources Limited, a Designated Non-Financial Institution (DNFI), and ICIL Limited, listed as the first and second defendants, respectively.
The re-arraignment followed the transfer of the former trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, to the Warri division of the court early in the year.
Earlier, the judge hinted that most courts are not sitting because of the valedictory court session for the late Kafarati, adding that he was also expected to be at the event which would commence by 10 am.
He, however, said he is in court out of respect for parties listed in the day’s cause list.
When the matter was called, the EFCC lawyer, Ekele Iheanacho, told the court that the matter was scheduled for commencement of trial and that the first prosecution witness (PW1), a staff of a commercial bank, was in court.
Okorowo, who asked the witness to identify himself, directed parties to choose two convenient dates for the commencement of trial given the FHC programme.
Iheanacho and the defence lawyer, Michael Ajare, agreed to come back on February 14 and February 15, 2022.
Justice Okorowo adjourned the matter for commencement of trial.
The anti-graft agency had, on November 21, 2019, re-arraigned Nolan. The Briton, with his co-accused person, Adam Quinn (still at large), was first docked on October 21, 2019, on a 16-count charge of money laundering.
The defendants are both directors of the two companies, which were allegedly used for money laundering.
Nolan is also said to be a signatory to P&ID accounts.
P&ID had approached a British court to seek compensation, claiming the Nigerian government breached a 2010 gas contract agreement.
The government had contracted P&ID to build gas processing facilities around Calabar, Cross River.
According to the contract, the government was required to supply wet gas of up to 400 million cubic feet daily.
The court initially granted the firm an arbitral award of $6.6 billion.
But the figure rose to about $9 billion with an additional $2.3 billion in accumulated interest at a seven percent rate, after Nigeria refused to enter an appeal for more than five years after the original ruling.
The Nigerian government had appealed the British court ruling and secured an order delaying the execution of the court judgment.
The government said the contract was fraudulent ab initio and that both parties (including the Nigerian officials who signed for Nigeria) signed it to defraud the Nigerian government.
A former petroleum ministry official who signed the contract as a witness is also being prosecuted.
