AYO ESAN
JUSTICE Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday, adjourned till February 22, 2021, for continued trial of Jide Omokore and two of his companies – Atlantic Energy Brass Limited and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited.
Others involved in the trial are Victor Briggs, former Managing Director, Nigerian Petroleum Development Company; and Membere Abiye.
They are being tried for alleged oil fraud involving Omokore’s companies in respect of a Strategic Alliance Agreement on OML 26, 30, 34 & 42.
The defendants are facing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on an amended nine-count charge, bordering on alleged money laundering and procurement fraud to the tune of $1.6billion.
At the resumed trial on Wednesday, December 2, 2020, prosecution witness, Abdulrasheed Bawa, who is an investigator with the EFCC, while being led in evidence by Adebisi Adeniyi, told the court that Omokore, (the first defendant) bought properties for a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.
The properties – Penthouse 22, Block B, No 8, Gerrard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos; and Penthouse 21, Block C5, Bella Vista Estate, Banana Island, Lagos – he said, were purchased at the cost of $1,194,000 and $3,570,000, respectively.
He tendered the documents in respect of the properties and they were admitted in evidence.
The two properties, however, were in 2018, forfeited to the Federal Government through an Order of a Federal High Court, Lagos, upon a proceeding, initiated by the EFCC.
Justice Dimgba adjourned the case upon mention, to enable the counsel, who flew in from outside Abuja to catch up with their flights.
He however ordered that the passports of the fourth and fifth defendants (Briggs and Abiye), respectively be released to them to enable them travel, stating that the passports must be returned to the court on or before the adjourned date.
