P&ID: Court orders arrest of Briton, James Nolan, for jumping bail

Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday ordered the arrest of Briton, James Nolan, for failing to appear for his trial.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Nolan, a Director in the Process and Industrial Development Limited (P&ID) alongside Lurgi Consult Limited and others for alleged money laundering to the tune of $9.6 billion.

The judge said Nolan has broken the terms of his bail conditions offered him by the court and issued a bench warrant for his arrest.

He also ordered the Briton’s surety to appear in court on the next adjourned date to explain why the bail bond should not be forfeited to the court.

The prosecution counsel, Bala Sanga, had prepared to proceed with the cross examination of the first prosecution witness, Temitope Erinomo, when the court was informed that the second defendant was missing and efforts to ascertain his whereabouts proved abortive.

Sanga, who was unhappy about the development, said Lurgi Consult Limited has never been represented in court since the hearing started.

READ ALSO: P&ID scam: EFCC asks court to issue arrest warrant for three Marqott Directors

He said investigations by the EFCC showed that the property given by Nolan’s surety in Gwagwalada area of Abuja was not worth N100m.

The counsel urged the court to restrain the defence team from further delaying the case.

Nolan’s counsel, Micheal Ajara, said his client’s sudden disappearance was strange.

“My Lord, the defendant in question has always appeared in court except for the last adjourned date that he was sick. His medical report shows that he has bipolar, a history of mental illness and it is uncertain if the defendant is fine.

“We have notified the police, including the prosecution, and all efforts to ascertain his whereabouts has proved abortive,” he said.

Ajara urged the court to grant the defence time to ascertain his client’s whereabouts.

Justice Mohammed said the court does not act in uncertainty except Ajara presents facts.

“What is clear to the court right now is that the second defendant is nowhere to be found and there is no certainty of his whereabouts”, he said.

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