EFCC Files Fresh Charges Against James Nolan

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Thursday, filed fresh charges against James Nolan, a Briton, at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Among the fresh charges brought against the Briton and the two companies by the EFCC included money laundering, tax evasion and failure to disclose their activities to the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment in line with the Money Laundering.

The EFCC’s Counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, had, at the resumed trial, told Justice Okon Abang that the anti-graft agency had filed an additional proof of evidence dated Nov. 20.

The lawyer said the EFCC brought up a fresh 32-count charge against the defendants in the case contrary to the initial 16-count charge bordering on money laundering.

NAN reports that EFCC had, on Oct. 21, arraigned Nolan and Adam Quinn (at large), both British nationals, over their alleged complicity in the $9.6 billion dollar judgment 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 British nationals is coming weeks after two P&ID directors were convicted over the deal.

The defendant is both directors of Goidel Resources Limited, a Designated Non-Financial Institution (DNFI) and ICIL Limited.

Paul Erokoro, SAN, counsel to Nolan, though acknowledged that the new count-charge was served on him, said he was served with not only the amended charge alone but an amended proof of evidence.

However, the EFCC lawyer, Iheanacho, corrected that what was served was not an amended charge but additional proof of evidence.

He urged the court to grant his prayer for the amended charges to be read to the defendant for his plea to be taken.

Justice Abang fixed December 6 for ruling on the admissibility or otherwise of the statement and for the continuation of the trial.