P&ID: Court dismisses Nolan’s plea for bail variation

Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, dismissed an application for bail variation filed by a British national, James Nolan.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had, on October 21,  2019, arraigned Nolan and Adam Quinn (at large), both British nationals, over their alleged complicity in the $9.6 billion judgment against Nigeria by a court in the United Kingdom.

Justice Abang, in a ruling yesterday, dismissed Nolan’s application for variation of his bail conditions for lacking in merit.

The trial judge wondered why Nolan could not respond to the serious allegation levelled against him by the anti-graft agency that he forged resident permit and pointed out that Nolan might jump bail if granted.

According to Justice Abang: “I took a risk in admitting the 3rd defendant (Nolan) to bail.”

It would be recalled that the court had, on November 7, admitted Nolan to a bail in the sum of N500 million.

Part of the bail conditions was for Nolan to produce a surety in like sum and that the surety must be a Nigerian and a serving senator, who is not facing any criminal trial in any court in the country.

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Besides, the court also held that the surety must submit a three-year tax clearance certificate and sign an undertaking to always be present in court with Nolan 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,” the court held.

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

Process and Industrial Development (P&ID), an Irish engineering company, had secured the award of $9.6 billion against Nigeria following the non-execution of a 20-year gas and supply processing agreement (GSPA) the company had with the federal government.

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.

Justice Abang in his ruling after hearing arguments of the prosecution and defence counsel on the application for bail variation yesterday said the application lacked merit and adjourned till today for trial continuation.