The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday arraigned a British national, James Nolan and six firms in which he is said to be a director, on money laundering charges.
EFCC on Tuesday arraigned a British national, James Nolan and six firms in which he is said to be a director, on money laundering charges.
Nolan, who is said to be a director of the controversial Irish engineering firm – Process and Industrial Development (P&ID), was named in the six separate charge on which he is arraigned with the firms.
They are accused of engaging in money laundering activities, while Nolan, Adam Quinn and Neil Murray (two other directors said to be at large) are also accused of falling to put in place anti-money laundering measures in the firms.
The companies are: Lurgi Consult Ltd (named in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/143/20; Kristholm Nigeria Ltd (named in the charge: FHC/ABJ/CR/144/20); Marshpeal Nigeria Ltd (/ABJ/CR/145/20); Babcock Electrical Projects Ltd (FHC/ABI/CR/146/20); LIR Resources Nigeria Ltd (FHC/ABI/CR/147/20), and Ecophoenix Nigeria Ltd ( FHC/AB)/CR/148/20).
Nolan, who is the only human being among the defendants, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him.
After his plea was taken in respect of the first charge, prosecuting lawyer, Bala Sanga applied that the defendant be remanded in prison pending trial.
Lawyer to Nolan, Paul Erokoro (SAN), in an oral application, prayed the court to admit his client to bail.
Erokoro relied on the fact that Nolan had been admitted to bail by the court in a sister case, FHC/ABJ/CR/239/2019 before another judge of the court, Justice Okon Abang.
He urged the court to adopt the terms of bail in the case before Justice Abang, which the Court of Appeal varied in its judgment on July 7, 2020 in the appeal marked: CA/A/97C/2020.
Responding, Sanga said he has no problem with the court adopting the terms of the earlier bail. He said the prosecution was only interested in having the defendant attend court to stand trial.
Sanga said he intends to apply for the arrest of Quinn and Murray to ensure their prosecution.
In a ruling, Justice Ahmed Mohammed granted Nolan bail on the condition given in the case before Justice Abang, as varied on appeal.
Justice Mohammed adopted the same ball terms in respect to the other five charges and adjourned till October 5 for trial.
In the case before Justice Abang, Nolan is also being tried on charges of money laundering related offences.
He is charged with two firms – Goidel Resources Limited and ICIL Limited -in which he is said to be a director, along with Quinn.
A count n one of the charges on which Nolan was arraigned on Tuesday reads: “That you, Ecophoenix Ltd, being a designated non-financial institution; Adam Quinn (at large), a director of Ecophoenix Ltd and James Nolan, a director of Ecophoenix Ltd; sometime in September 2013, in Abuja, failed to copy with the requirements of submitting to the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, a declaration of the activities of Ecophoemix Ltd as specified under Section 5(1)(a)(ii) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and you, therefore, committed an offence punishable under Section 16(2)(b) of the same Act.”
