A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, struck out one of the nine counts of $1.6bn crude oil fraud instituted against businessman, Jide Omokore, and five others.
Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, in a ruling, struck out the eighth count after hearing an application by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke, who had alleged that she was indicted in the particular count, yet was not given the opportunity to defend herself.
The six, named as defendants in the case included, Omokore, his two companies, Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Limited.
The other defendants are a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, Victor Briggs; a former Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Abiye Membere; and a former Manager, Planning and Commercial of the NNPC, David Mbanefo.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had preferred nine counts of criminal diversion of about $1.6bn alleged to be part of proceeds of sales of petroleum products belonging to the Federal Government, against the six defendants.
Allison-Madueke, who was said to be currently in the United Kingdom facing some legal proceedings, was not listed among the existing six defendants in the case to defend the charge, but she was, together with Biggs, Membere and Mbanefo, in count eight, accused of aiding Omokore in the commission of money laundering offence.
The offence she and others were accused of was said to be contrary to section 18 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.”
But the former minister, through her lawyer, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), on September 18, filed an application seeking among other prayers, an order directing an amendment to the charges, by adding her name as the seventh defendant to enable her to defend herself with respect to the eight count.
from punch
More charges to be struck out. Na God win
ReplyDeleteWhat!!!!
DeleteNaija I hail thee!!!
*yawns*
ReplyDeleteDo it the way u like..
It doesn't affect the price of rice in the market.😕😕
Mtcheeeww
That's how all the charges will be struck out one by one, until she will have no case to answer...then she will be freed, go back to her village and start "IPAB" just like Nnamdi Kanu's Ipob. SMH...
ReplyDeleteDiezani, Diezani, Diezani!!! Wehdon ma *in falz's voice
ReplyDeleteYou see? APC and fake news / media trial. Prove your case, get convictions, then go to the media and announce
ReplyDeleteThe gods has been appeased?
ReplyDeleteThis case is already faltering on its legs before trial. Nawa. Talk about scandalising people's characters in the media with impunity without evidence to back it up in the actual court of law. Its obvious, EFCC is playing to the gallery. QED@atm
ReplyDeleteWas it not the same corrupt judicial system that acquitted Ibori of the charges brought against him on all counts. What happened in the end, he could not bribe his way out of the charges brought by the UK government.
ReplyDeleteTruth be told we do not have a judicial system in this country. What we have is justice for sale to the highest bidder.
Thoses of you jubilating over the charges being struck off should remember that these are the people responsible for the plight of so many Nigerians today.
Bad roads, non-existent health care, no jobs, no infracstructure, no light, poor educational system, no pension for retred workers, no slalary for those working, etc. Remember!