Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court, Abuja has in a dramatic move adjourned the on-going trial of controversial businessman and alleged business ally of former petroleum Resources Minister, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, Chief Jide Omokore, and two of his companies, Atlantic Energy Brass Limited and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited, until February 22, 2021.
Also named in the on-going case is Victor Briggs, a former managing director, Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC and Membere Abiye who are being charged for alleged oil fraud involving Omokore’s companies in respect of an initiated Strategic Alliance Agreement(SAA) on OML 26, 30, 34 and 42, respectively.
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The duo of Briggs and Abiye are also required to appear in court on February 22, 2021 as directed by the trial judge Justice Nnamdi Dimgba on Thursday, December 3, 2020,
Recall that Jide Omokore and others are facing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on an amended nine-count charge, bordering on alleged money laundering and procurement fraud to the tune of $1.6billion.
The EFCC in a statement issued by Mr Wilson Uwujaren, Spokesperson of the Commission said 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 former minister of petroleum resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.
The properties alleged involved were listed as Penthouse 22, Block B, No 8, Gerrard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos and Penthouse 21, Block C5, Bella Vista Estate, Banana Island, Lagos. According to the EFCC, the said properties were purchased at the cost of $1,194,000 and $3,570,000 respectively.
In the EFCC’s statement, the prosecution witness , Abdulrasheed Bawa, reportedly tendered the documents in respect of the properties and they were admitted in evidence.
However, the EFCC averred that the two properties mentioned above were in 2018, forfeited to the Federal Government through an Order of a Federal High Court, Lagos, upon a proceeding, initiated by the EFCC.
Presiding Judge, Justice Dimgba adjourned the case upon mention, to enable the counsel, who flew in from outside Abuja to catch up with their flights, ordering 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.
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