The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, arraigned a former director of legal services in the ministry of petroleum resources, Grace Taiga, for alleged corruption in the gas supply and processing agreement, GSPA, between the federal government and P&ID.
She was brought before Justice Olukayode Adeniyi of the Abuja High Court which ordered that she be remanded in prison in Suleja, Niger state.
The order came after she pleaded not guilty to the eight-count charges preferred against her by the EFCC.
Following her plea, the EFCC counsel, Bala Sanga, prayed the Court that she be remanded in prison custody pending the commencement of trial and asked for an adjournment to enable the prosecution to call its witnesses to prove the charge against her.
Taiga’s lawyer, Mr. Ola Olanipekun, however, asked to move an oral application for her bail but was turned down by the court.
Also a request that the defendant be remanded in EFCC custody was rejected following an objection by the EFCC counsel.
Consequently, the Court ordered that Taiga be kept in custody pending the hearing of her bail application on September 25.
Below are the charges against Mrs. Taiga:
COUNT ONE
That you, PROCESS AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENTS LlMiTED being a company incorporated in the British Virgin Island (convicted), MICHAEL QUINN (deceased), BRENDAN CAHILL (at large), NEIL HITCHCOCK (deceased), and GRACE TAIGA on or about the 11th January, 2010 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud made a false statement in paragraph 8 (g) of the GAS SUPPLY AND PROCESSING AGREEMENT (“GSPA”) to wit: the parties are aware that the 24inch Adanga pipeline presently under construction from the Addax operated OML 123 directly to Calabar and due for completion in 2010 which part of the said agreement you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 362 (a) of the Penal Code Law and punishable under section 364 of the same law
COUNT TWO
That you, GRACE TAIGA AND DR. RILWAN LUKMAN (deceased) being public officers on or about the 11th January 2010 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court signed a contract titled Gas Supply and Processing Agreement between the Ministry of Petroleum Resources of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and PROCESS AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT LIMITED a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the British Virgin Island without any cash backing and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 22(4) of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences act, 2000.
COUNT THREE
That you, GRACE TAIGA AND DR. RILWAN LUKMAN (deceased) being public officers on or about the 11th January 2010 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court signed a contract titled Gas Supply and Processing Agreement between the Ministry of Petroleum Resources of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and PROCESS AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT LIMITED a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the British Virgin Island without obtaining the requisite statutory approvals of the Federal Executive Council pursuant to section 2 (1) and (2) of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Comm15510n (Establishment, ETC), 2005 and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 22(4) of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences act, 2000.
COUNT FOUR
That you, GRACE TAIGA (former Director of Legal Services in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources) on or about the 14th of September, 2015 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court corruptly received the sum of $1,000 (One thousand United States Dollars) from Eastwise Trading Limited through the Zenith Bank offshore Account No. 5070369868 operated by you on account of the favour you showed to PROCESS AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT LIMITED which led to the definitive agreement entered into between the company incorporated in the British Virgin Island and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources in 2010 and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 8(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences act, 2000.
COUNT FIVE
That you, GRACE TAIGA (former Director of Legal Services in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources) on or about the 18th of December, 2017 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court corruptly received the sum of $10,000 (ten thousand United States dollars) from Industrial Consultants International through your Zenith Bank offshore Account No. 5070369868 on account of the favour you already showed to PROCESS AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT LIMITED which led to the execution of the definitive agreement entered into between the said company incorporated and existing under the laws of the British Virgin Island and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources on the 11th of January, 2010 and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 8(1) (a) of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences act, 2000.
COUNT SIX
That you, GRACE TAIGA (former Director of Legal Services in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources) on or about the 27th of June, 2018 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court corruptly received the sum of $10, 000 (ten thousand United States dollars) from Industrial Consultants international through your Zenith Bank offshore Account No 5070369868 on account of the favour you already showed to PROCESS AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT LIMITED which led to the execution of the definitive agreement entered into between the said company incorporated and existing under the laws of the British Virgin Island and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources in 2010 and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 8(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences act, 2000.
COUNT SEVEN
That you, GRACE TAIGA AND RILWAN LUKMAN (deceased) being public officers in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources on or about the 11th of January, 2010 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court knowingly disobeyed the direction contained in section 2 of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (Establishment, ETC) Act which required the approval of the Federal Executive Council prior to the entering into such contract contained in the Gas Supply and Processing Agreement between the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and Process and Industrial Development Ltd signed by you and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 123 of the Penal Code law.
COUNT EIGHT
That you, GRACE TAIGA AND RILWAN LUKMAN (deceased) being public officers in the Ministry of Petroleum resources on or about the 11th of January, 2010 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court knowingly disobeyed the direction contained in sections 15 and 16 of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 which required the issuance of a “Certificate of No Objection to award of Contract” by the Bureau of Public Procurement prior to entering into such contract contained in the Gas Supply and Processing Agreement between the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and Process and Industrial Development Ltd signed by you and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 123.
