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

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday urged the Federal High Court, Abuja, to issue a warrant of arrest against three directors of Marqott Nigeria Limited over the alleged involvement in the Process and Industrial Development (P&ID) scam.

The three men – Giovanni Beccarelli, Valentina Fontoli and Dimitri Duca – are said to be on the run.

The application which was filed by the EFCC counsel, Bala Sanga, on February 4 was pursuant to “Section 3, 35, 36 and 37 of ACJA 2015.”

Justice D. U. Okorowo, however, reserved ruling on the application till March 15.

Marqott Nigeria Limited, an accomplice in the $9.6billion Gas Supply and Processing Agreement between the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and (P&ID) was arraigned by the EFCC on money laundering charges.

At Tuesday’s proceedings, Sanga told the court that he has an additional witness in court.

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

The witness, Temitope Olubunmi Erinomo, a staff of the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML), told the court that the unit received a letter from EEFCC on September 11, 2020.

He said: “The letter sought to know the compliance status of Marqott in respect of Money Laundering provisions.”

“After looking at our records and conducting the compliance examination, I found out that Marqott had not declared its business activities to the Federal Ministry of Trade and Industry as at the date of receipt of the EFCC letter. I also found out that Marqott Nigeria Limited had no statutory record with the Federal ministry of trade and industry and neither have they made any report to the EFCC.”

The judge adjourned the matter till March 23.

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