Court Issues Bench Warrant On Briton, Nolan For $9.6bn P&ID Fraud

James Richard Nolan, a British citizen, has been slammed with a bench warrant by Justice D U Okorowo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, for jumping bail and failing to show up for trial.

Nolan, one of the directors of ICIL Limited and Goidel Resources Limited, a Designated Non-Financial Institution, is facing trial on 16 counts that have to do with potential money laundering.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) attorney, G.C. Ofulue, requested a bench warrant against the defendant on the previous adjourned date, but the judge decided to give the defence more time to present him on the upcoming adjourned date.

When the trial was resumed on Tuesday, November 15, 2022, the prosecution’s attorney once more asked the court to issue a bench warrant for the defendant and his surety to show cause as to why his properties shouldn’t be forfeited to the federal government after defence attorney Michael Ajara informed the court that his team was on the defendant’s trail. 

However, Ajara pleaded with the court not to dock the surety yet, explaining that his team, the Nigerian Police, EFCC and the surety himself, are trying their best to produce the defendant before the court.

“My lord, as I speak, even the surety who was in court at the last adjourned date and is still present today, in conjunction with the police, are still searching for the defendant, but up till now, no clue to as what has happened to him, and the police are still investigating.  We are still appealing to my lord to again give us more time to know what has happened to him while the investigation is still ongoing”, he said. 

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The judge thereafter issued a bench warrant on the defendant, and ordered the surety to appear before him on the next adjourned date to show cause why his properties should not be forfeited to the government.

He also adjourned the case till February 7, 2023