$9.6bn P&ID fraud: EFCC tenders additional evidence against director
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday, tendered additional evidence against MICAD Project City Services Limited, and James Nolan, a Director of Process and Industrial Development Limited, before Justice Nora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja.
This was made known in a statement by the Head, Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Dele Oyewale.
MICAD Project City Services Limited and James Nolan, are standing trial on a 20-count charge of obtaining by false pretense, non-compliance with the Money Laundering Act 2011 (as amended) and criminal conversion of proceeds of crime, to the tune N151,394,328.00.
In February, the International Criminal Police Organisation, said it had arrested Nolan, in Italy after reportedly jumping bail in 2022, in the ongoing $9.6 billion P&ID scandal.l
At the last session on January 18, 2024, second prosecution counsel, PW2, Hussain Babangida informed the court how directors of Micad City Services Ltd absconded with about N39,450,224.23, owed as taxes to the Federal government using fake signatures.
At Monday’s court sitting, the prosecution counsel, Bala Sanga, informed the court that the EFCC had filed additional evidence before the court on February 20, 2024, and defence counsel, Micheal Ajara, confirmed that they have been served the evidence.
Sanga then presented the third prosecution witness, PW3, Nnedimma Irene Eyisi, a lawyer, who narrated to the court how James Nolan informed her that he needed to renew himself as the Director of MICAD.
“Sometimes in 2016, my principal informed me that a client will give me a form to file a CAC document. Later that day, I received a call from a client who introduced himself as James Nolan, and he informed me he needed to renew himself as the Director of the company. I asked him to give me details about the directors of the company and he did. I informed him I will prepare a CAC Form 7, so that the required directors will sign.
“A couple of weeks later, our Secretary informed me that I have some documents which contained CAC form 7 appointing James Nolan as the director, a consent letter accepting to be a director by James Nolan. On receiving these documents, I proceeded to CAC and after a couple of days, I checked back and the application was approved. I made the necessary payment and submitted. I came back days later to collect the CTC of these documents. I packaged it and gave it out for dispatch, I called the client and informed him that the documents are ready”, she added.
Eyisi also informed the court that she could recognize the document on sight, adding that it bears the name of James Nolan. She said she was invited by the EFCC in respect of the CAC form 7 and wrote a statement on August 31, 2021 which reflected her name.
According to the statement, the witness in her cross examination, said that she dispatched the form for the company and the directors to sign.
“CAC form 7 must return all signed and I submitted them all. All I know is that the documents were returned, signed by all directors and the new director.”
Sanga then applied to the court for the document to be admitted in evidence. The defense counsel did not object to the application.
Justice Egwuatu admitted the document in evidence and marked it as “Exhibit J”, and thereafter adjourned the matter to March 12, 2024 for continuation of hearing.
