Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court Abuja, on Wednesday, granted bail to former Director of Legal Services, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Grace Taiga, for an alleged multiple fraud case involving Process and Industrial Development Limited (P&ID).
Taiga is facing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on nine count amended charges, bordering on accepting bribes and other related crimes.
Count three of the charge read: “That you Grace Taiga, Enameg Vera Mases Taiga (at large) Brendan Cahill (at large), Michael Quinn (deceased) on or about the 30 of January, 2012 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did conspire to commit an offence to wit, money laundering by disguising the origin of the sum of Five Thousand United States of America Dollars (USD 5,000) paid by Kristholm Limited -a company controlled by the owners and promoters of Process & Industrial Development Limited (P&ID) – into the HSBC bank account of Enameg Vera Moses Taiga domiciled at No.8, Canada Square, London branch of HSBC which money you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit; bribery and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 18(a) and punishable under section 15(2)(a) and (3) of the Money Laundering Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended)”.
Count five reads, “That you Grace Taiga, whilst being the Director of Legal at Ministry of Petroleum Resources, on or about the 30h of December, 2009 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did commit an offence to wit, using the sum of Four Thousand Nine Hundred and Sixty Nine United States of American Dollars and Five Cents (USD 4,969.5) paid by Marshpear Limited – a company controlled by the owners and promoters of Process & Industrial Developments Limited (P&ID) into the HSBC bank account of Enameg Vera Moses Taiga domiciled at No.8, Canada Square, London branch of HSBC, which money you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit; bribery and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 15(21d) and (3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended)”.
Taiga pleaded not guilty to all the charges when she was re-arraigned on October 7, 2021, prompting the prosecuting counsel Abba Mohammed to ask for a trial date.
At the resume hearing today, Justice Egwuatu granted bail to the defendant in the sum of N30 million and two sureties in like sum who must present proper means of identification.
Also, one of the sureties must have a landed property in Abuja with a 3-year tax clearance, and must deposit the Certificate of Occupancy of the property with the court.
The defendant must also deposit her international passport with the court registrar, pending the conclusion of the trial.
Justice Egwuatu thereafter adjourned till January 17, 2022, for trial.
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