Alleged P&ID scam: Court dismisses Briton’s plea for bail variation

The Federal High Court, Abuja,on Monday dismissed the application for bail variation filed by a British man, James Nolan.

Justice Okon Abang, who dismissed the prayer, said the application was lacking in merit and adjourned the case till today for continuation of trial.

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The judge gave the ruling after he had taken the arguments of the prosecution and defence counsel.

He wondered why Nolan could not respond to the serious allegation levelled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that he forged resident permit and that if granted bail, he might jump same.

Justice Abang said he took a risk in admitting the third defendant (Nolan) to bail.

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News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Abang had earlier fixed December 6 for hearing on the bail variation but adjourned till December 9.

Justice Abang, on November 7, granted Nolan bail for N500 million.

The judge, who granted the bail in an application filed by Nolan, ordered that the applicant must produce a surety in like sum, who must be a Nigerian and a serving senator not standing any criminal trial in any court in Nigeria.

Besides, he held that the proposed surety must submit a three-year tax clearance certificate and sign an undertaking to always be in court with the defendant throughout the duration of the trial.

“The senator must have a landed property fully developed in Maitama District of Abuja and fully certified by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).

“The surety must submit two passport photographs,” Justice Abang ruled.

The court also ordered the defendant to surrender all his international passports, even as it mandated the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) to confirm how many passports that were issued to him n the past 20 years.

NAN recalls that EFCC, on October 21, arraigned Nolan and Adam Quinn (said to be on the run), both British nationals, over their alleged complicity in the $9.6 billion judgment debt against Nigeria.

Process and Industrial Development (P&ID), an Irish engineering company, had secured the award against Nigeria following the non-execution of a 20-year gas and supply processing agreement (GSPA) the company had with the Federal Government.

The arraignment of the two Britons came weeks after two P&ID directors were convicted over the deal.

The defendants, both directors of Goidel Resources Limited, a designated non-financial institution and ICIL Limited, were arraigned on a 16-count charge bordering on money laundering.

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