A Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted in absentia a British citizen and a director in the controversial Process and Industrial Development (P&ID) Limited, James Nolan, for money laundering offences.
In a judgment he delivered yesterday, Justice Obiora Egwuatu also found Nolan’s co-defendant, Micad Project City Services Limited, guilty as charged. He thus convicted the firm as well.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecuted Nolan and Micah Project on 20-count bordering on money laundering, forgery, and obtaining by false pretence. They were arraigned in 2022.
During the trial, the prosecution called six witnesses and tendered several documents as exhibits before closing its case.
Lawyer to the defendants, Michael Ajara, rested the defence’s case on that of the prosecution without presenting evidence for the rebuttal of the charge against the defendants.
Justice Egwuatu convicted Nolan on all the counts, except Count 13 and held that the Briton, who jumped bail during trial, would be sentenced upon his arrest by the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) and production before the court.
He also convicted Micad Limited on counts 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11.
Justice Egwuatu said: “I am satisfied that the prosecution called credible witnesses and tendered documentary evidence to establish its case against the defendants.”
The judge struck out count 13 because the alleged offence it contained predated the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011.
The judge, who also found the defendants guilty of forgery, upheld the argument of the lawyer to the prosecution, Bala Sanga, that, except the late Lloyd Quinn, another director in Micad Limited, who was to have resurrected, could not have signed the documents he was said to have signed three years after his death.
The judge held that Quinn, who died in 2014, could not have signed the documents in 2017.
Justice Egwuatu further held that Nolan was prosecuted in absentia in line with Section 352(4) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.
Nolan, who was remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre after his arraignment, was later released after he met the conditions attached to a N100 million bail granted him.
He later fled Nigeria around September 2022 and an arrest warrant was issued against him.
Nolan was said to have been re-arrested by INTERPOL in Italy on January 27, 2024, when he visited his wife.
He is yet to be brought back to Nigeria.
The Nation recalls that in another proceeding before a separate judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Justice Donatus Okorowo (now of the Court of Appeal), the court, on July 3, 2024, ordered the closure of two other companies linked to Nolan over their involvement in the P&ID Limited fraud.
Justice Okorowo, in two separate judgments, held that the two companies were found guilty of money laundering offences and ordered that the companies be wound up and their assets forfeited to the Federal Government.
The companies are Trinity Biotech Nigeria Limited and Resorts Express Concept Nigeria Limited.
$9.6b P&ID fraud: Court convicts fleeing British citizen Nolan in absentia
From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja
A Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted in absentia a British citizen and a director in the controversial Process and Industrial Development (P&ID) Limited, James Nolan, for money laundering offences.
In a judgment he delivered yesterday, Justice Obiora Egwuatu also found Nolan’s co-defendant, Micad Project City Services Limited, guilty as charged. He thus convicted the firm as well.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecuted Nolan and Micah Project on 20-count bordering on money laundering, forgery, and obtaining by false pretence. They were arraigned in 2022.
During the trial, the prosecution called six witnesses and tendered several documents as exhibits before closing its case.
Lawyer to the defendants, Michael Ajara, rested the defence’s case on that of the prosecution without presenting evidence for the rebuttal of the charge against the defendants.
Justice Egwuatu convicted Nolan on all the counts, except Count 13 and held that the Briton, who jumped bail during trial, would be sentenced upon his arrest by the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) and production before the court.
He also convicted Micad Limited on counts 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11.
Justice Egwuatu said: “I am satisfied that the prosecution called credible witnesses and tendered documentary evidence to establish its case against the defendants.”
The judge struck out count 13 on the grounds that the alleged offence it contained predated the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011.
The judge, who also found the defendants guilty of forgery, upheld the argument of the lawyer to the prosecution, Bala Sanga, that except the late Lloyd Quinn, another director in Micad Limited was to have resurrected, could not have sign the documents he was said to have signed three years after his death.
The judge held that Quinn, who died in 2014, could not have signed the documents in 2017.
Justice Egwuatu further held that Nolan was prosecuted in absentia in line with Section 352(4) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.
Nolan, who was remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre after his arraignment, was later released after he met the conditions attached to a N100 million bail granted him.
He later fled Nigeria around September 2022 and an arrest warrant was issued against him.
Nolan was said to have been re-arrested by the INTERPOL in Italy on January 27, 2024, when he visited his wife.
He is yet to be brought back to Nigeria.
The Nation recalls that in another proceeding before a separate judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Justice Donatus Okorowo (now of the Court of Appeal), the court, on July 3, 2024, ordered the closure of two other companies linked to Nolan over their involvement in the P&ID Limited fraud.
Justice Okorowo, in two separate judgments, held that the two companies were found guilty of money laundering offences and ordered that the companies be wound up and their assets forfeited to the Federal Government.
The companies are Trinity Biotech Nigeria Limited and Resorts Express Concept Nigeria Limited.
Source: The Nation News