The trial of James Nolan, a British national before Justice E.O. Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja continued on Wednesday, November 20, 2019 with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC presenting its first witness against the defendant.
Nolan and Adam Quinn (at large), who are directors in Goidel Resources Limited-a Designated Non-Financial Institution (“DNFI”) and ICIL Limited-are facing a 16-count charge money laundering charge before Justice Abang, in the matter that is related to the Process and Industrial Development, P&ID gas processing and utilization contract scam, in which the EFCC has already secured the liquidation of the company and conviction of some of its management staff.
In today’s proceeding, prosecution counsel E.E. Iheanacho made available two prosecution witnesses, but only one was able to testify and be cross-examined.
The witness, Wale Agunbiade Adewale, an account officer with Guarantee Trust Bank, Abuja who handled the opening of the accounts for the companies, told the court that he knew the defendant and was familiar with the names of Goidel Resources Ltd and ICIL Limited-the companies.
He revealed that the accounts of both companies were assigned to his team to manage. He thus, provided both the accounts opening documents and statements in court.
Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, the witness said: “We received a request to provide the account opening document from the EFCC and the statement of account on August 2019. We had the account opening document retrieved from our archives and the statements were generated. We forwarded it to our compliance team to deliver to the EFCC.
“I will be able to identify the documents. The cover letter bears the bank logo and should have been signed by my colleagues in our compliance team. Idris Giwa and Beckley Ojo our compliance team members signed the document.”
The documents were admitted in evidence by the court, marked Exhibit A and Exhibit B1 to B84.
The witness further disclosed that Nolan and one Isaac Ebubiogu are signatories to the account and that either of them can authorize transaction on the account.
Giving insight into financial transactions on the account, he told the court that $125,000 (One Hundred and Twenty-five Thousand Dollars) was credited to the account of Goidel Resources Limited by Nolan on February 1, 2016 through account number 0154696732 and that on February 13, 2018 there was a transfer of $120,000 (One Hundred and Twenty Thousand Dollars) from LIR Resources Nigeria Ltd to Goidel Resources.
The witness further disclosed that on December 15, 2015, there was a transfer of N50million from Box Design Ltd to Goidel Resources Ltd via the account number 0151728629. And that on November 6, 2015 a transfer of N10million came again from Box Design to Goidel Resources.
After the cross-examination of the witness by the defence counsel, Paul Erokoro, SAN, Justice E.O. Abang adjourned the matter until Thursday, November 21, 2019 for continuation of trail.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
20 November, 2019
