Court issues arrest warrant for Irishman, Murray over P&ID’s contract scam

Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday, issued a warrant for the arrest of an Irish citizen, Neil Murray, over his involvement in the alleged Process and Industrial Development Limited (P&ID) scandal.

A court in the United Kingdom had in 2019 awarded $9.6billion to P&ID over an alleged breach of a gas supply agreement by the Federal Government.

Justice Mohammed gave the order following an ex-parte motion moved by counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Bala Sanga.

Sanga told the court that the ex-parte motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/143/2020 dated August 20 and filed August 25, was brought pursuant to Sections 3, 35, 36, and 37 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, and under the inherent power of the court.

The federal government is the applicant while the Irish is the respondent.

READ ALSO: P&ID scam: EFCC re-arraigns Britons for alleged money laundering

Murray, who is an employee of P&ID, is also a director of Lurgi Consult Limited, an associate company of the P&ID.

The lawyer said the respondent, who is at large, is named in counts one to eight of the criminal charge number: FHC/ABJ/CR/143/2020 in which a Director in P&ID, James Nolan, is currently standing trial.

Sanga, therefore, urged the court to issue a warrant for the arrest of the Irish to enable him to face trial on the criminal charges.

Justice Mohammed, who granted the prayer for the issuance of an arrest warrant on Murray, adjourned the matter till January 25, 2022, for the continuation of the trial.

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