Court remands British nationals in prison over $9.6bn P&ID scam

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday remanded two British nationals, James Richard Nolan and Adam Quinn in prison custody pending the determination of their bail application in a charge of complicity in the controversial $9.6 billion arbitral award to Process and Industrial Developments Limited (P&ID) by a United Kingdom commercial court.

The Federal Government slammed the charge on Nolan and Quinn.

The defendants, both directors of Goidel Resources Limited, a Designated Non-Financial Institution (DNFI) and ICIL Limited, were earlier arraigned on a 16-count charge bordering on money laundering by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Earlier, before the arraignment, the trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, had struck out count nine of the charges on the grounds that “a court of law has no jurisdiction to entertain a charge against a non-registered person.”

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to them.

After taking their plea, prosecuting counsel, Bala Sanga, consequently prayed the court for a trial date and an order to remand the defendants in prison custody.

However, defence counsel, Okwudili Anozie moved an oral application for the bail of his clients.

The prosecution counsel objected to the oral bail application.

According to him, “We object to the oral application of the defendant. We would be requesting an affidavit showing cause, why the bail should be granted.”

In a short ruling, Justice Abang refused the oral application for the bail of the defendants and adjourned to November 20 and 21, 2019, for commencement of trial.

He later ordered that the defendants be remanded in prison custody, pending the consideration of their bail applications.

By Tunde Oyesina Alza Fintrion