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Friday, September 04, 2020 / 01:23
PM / by Oluseyi Awojulugbe of TheCable / Header Image
Credit: P&ID Facts
Nigeria has secured a landmark victory in its pursuit
to overturn a $10 billion judgement awarded against it in a case against
Process and Industrial Developments (P&ID).
Related Link: UK Court Rules
In Favour of Pand ID To Seize $9bn FGN Assets, Nigeria To Appeal Decision
In the judgment delivered on Thursday, Ross Cranston,
a judge of the Business and Property Courts of England and Wales, granted
Nigeria's application for an extension of time and relief from sanctions.
TheCable understands that the case will either go back
to arbitration based on the new evidence or both parties will now settle out of
court.
"It is not my function at this preliminary stage to
decide whether a fraud took place," Cranston said.
"However, it has been necessary to consider a
considerable amount of the material to decide firstly, whether, as Nigeria
contended, there is a prima facie case of fraud and how strong that case is,
and secondly, the steps Nigeria took to investigate the alleged fraud from late
2015.
"Both matters are relevant to the issues of whether
Nigeria's claim is barred altogether and whether time should be extended in its
favour and relief from sanctions granted".
On January 31, 2017, a tribunal had ruled that Nigeria
should pay P&ID $6.6 billion as damages, as well as pre- and post-judgment
interest at 7 percent.
The current outstanding amount is estimated at $10
billion.
The federal government had approached the court to
establish that the contract was awarded on illegal terms.
Nigeria's lawyers told the court in July that P&ID
officials paid bribes to get the contract.
P&ID reportedly entered a gas supply and
processing agreement with Nigeria in 2010.
Claiming Nigeria breached the terms of the contract,
it took a legal recourse and secured an arbitral award against the country.
Nigeria has been making moves to overturn the
judgement and has gotten court clearance to request documents from a P&ID
stakeholder and review bank statements of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan,
Diezani Alison-Madueke and Rilwanu Lukman, former ministers of petroleum.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),
on August 18, arraigned James Nolan, a Briton, and six companies over their
alleged involvement in the contract.
Download Here - Full Text of Judgement In The Case Between Nigeria and P&ID
Credit:
The post Nigeria Floors P&ID as UK
Court Grants Relief from $10bn Fine first appeared in TheCable on September 04,
2020.
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