The court is notified by the lawyer regarding the purported P&ID scam, while the former director of the Petroleum Ministry sadly passes away at an Abuja hospital.
On Friday, Daniel Alumun, the attorney representing retired Ministry of Petroleum Resources Director of Legal Grace Taiga in the alleged P&ID bribery scheme, formally notified an FCT High Court of her passing.
In the contentious Gas Supply Processing Agreement (GSPA) between Process and Industrial Development (P&ID) and the Federal Government of Nigeria, Taiga was on trial before Justice Olukayode Adeniyi for alleged acts of bribery.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) brought her before them on an amended 13-count accusation that included, among other things, allegations of bribery.
According to the EFCC, Taiga signed the contentious GPSA after receiving a bribe through her offshore bank account.
It further claimed that by signing the Agreement without first receiving clearance from the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and a certificate from the Bureau of Public Enterprise (PBE) stating that there was no opposition to the transaction, she had broken several laws.
Nonetheless, she entered a not guilty plea to the accusations made against her.
The deceased was first charged on September 20, 2019, in the case with the case number FCT/HC/CR/504/19. The prosecution later altered the charge against her twice while it was presenting its case.
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On October 3, 2020, the EFCC modified the defendant’s charge to an 11-count, and on January 10, 2021, it was further amended to a 13-count.
The prosecution presented eight witnesses to testify against the defendant during the course of presenting its case, and on February 27, 2023, the court ordered the defendant to begin her defence.
Taiga’s attorney, Daniel Alumun, told the court during the case’s Friday resumed hearing that his client passed away on August 1, 2023, in an Abuja hospital.
To inform the court of Taiga’s passing, Alumun submitted a document titled “Hospital Death Declaration” from Primus International Super Speciality Hospital, Karu New Extension, Abuja.
Given this regrettable turn of events, the defence attorney asked the court to drop the charges.
However, Abba Mohammed, the EFCC’s attorney, claimed that before the court could dismiss the case, the defence had to present the court with a death certificate in accordance with the law.
Judge Adeniyi ordered the production of a death certificate in front of the court and accepted the prosecutor’s submission.
He then postponed the case until January 24, 2024, to allow the defence to comply with the law.
