Nigeria government has filed fresh charges in UK courts in its ongoing effort to bring the Process & Industrial Development (P&ID) to justice over the $9.6 billion contract.
According to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, the new charge is a major step forward in their bid to overturn the injustice of the US$9.6 billion award,”
He noted that it will challenge both the underlying arbitral award and its enforcement, while lodging a fresh appeal against the subsequent High Court judgment.
He did not give further details on the make-up of the new charges filed.
Mr Malami, who spoke through a statement from his office, said based on new evidence that has become available to the government following recent investigations, ”it is clear the original contract was a sham commercial deal and designed to fail from the outset”.
He explained that the fraud was only recently discovered as a result of the present administration anti-corruption efforts spearheaded by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The minister said the Gas Supply and Processing Agreement, GSPA, was procured on the basis of fraud and corruption.
He said the subsequent arbitral process was riddled with irregularities and deliberately concealed from the rest of the government.
The federal government recently expanded its legal team, to include leading London law firm, Mishcon de Reya.
The team is led by Shaistah Akhtar, Partner, and Mark Howard QC of Brick Court Chambers.
The expansion of the legal team, the minister said, will enable the federal government to launch full investigations.
