$11bn P&ID Award: Court Fixes Jan 16 For Examination Of Witness

A Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned till January 16 for the cross-examination of the prosecution witness in the trial of defendants in the arbitral award of $11 billion against Nigeria.

The two separate ongoing trials involve Micad Project City Services Limited, an Irish national and director in the Process and Industrial Development Ltd, James Richard Nolan; and Goidel Resources Limited and ICIL Limited.

Justice Obiora Egwatu on Wednesday adjourned the matter after Temitope Erinomo, an Assistant Chief Complaint Officer of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) testified in chief.

Led in evidence by the EFCC counsel, Bala Sanga, Erinomo testified how the investigating team tracked Micad Project and Nolan on the alleged offences.

Nolan and one Adam Quinn, now at large, being directors in Goidel Resources Ltd, a designated non-financial institution, were alleged to have in December 2013 aided the said company in failing to comply with the requirements of submitting to the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, a declaration of its activities as specified under Section 5(1)(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended).

Earlier, the defence counsel, Michael Ajara pleaded for leniency for the surety, George Kadiri, who was remanded and ordered to forfeit the sum of N100 million bail bond over the non-appearance of Nolan in court.

A Business and Property Court of England and Wales had on Monday nullified the $11 billion arbitral award against Nigeria over the 2010 gas-to-power project in Cross River.