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The Chairman of Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited, Jide Omokore, was on Wednesday granted permission to travel abroad for medical treatment. Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, who granted the application, ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to deposit the passports of all defendants in the case with the court registry for subsequent release to them.
Consequently, Mr. Omokore’s trial, along with Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Limited and Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited, was adjourned till June 13 and 14, 2017 for continuation of trial. Since July 2016, Mr. Omokore has been standing trial along with some former top officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on a nine-count amended charge of criminal diversion of about $1.6 billion alleged to be proceeds of sale of petroleum products belonging to the federal government.
The anti-graft agency had arraigned him along with the former Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Andrew Yakubu, and other top officials, including Victor Briggs, Abiye Membere, and David Mbanefo for alleged breach of the Strategic Alliance Agreement (SAA) through which some oil assets were given to Mr. Omokore’s companies.
Mr. Omokore’s lead counsel, Lawal Rabana, told PREMIUM TIMES that after his client responded to EFCC’s invitation over the matter and was granted administrative bail in 2015, he had not travelled out of Nigeria since then for his routine medical check-up.
“Since 2015, my client has not traveled out of the country. He has always said there is no need for that, because he needs to stay here to clarify and defend himself. His position has always been he did nothing wrong, as he had a commercial transaction that has no criminal element whatsoever,” Mr. Rabana said.
He said since the trial began, there had been series of applications in between by virtually all the defendants for their passports to be released by the court to enable them to travel abroad for one reason or the other.
Besides, he said the court had to adjourn hearing because the prosecution counsel, led by Rotimi Jacobs, said his witnesses, including EFCC investigators, were not available to continue the trial.
“My client’s application was on the need for him to travel for medical check-up. In the last three years, he has not been able to do so, which the EFCC counsel did not oppose, as he was entitled to travel, so long as he would come back,” Mr Rabana said.
“But why would he not come back? There is nobody who enjoys comfort back home the way Nigerians do. So, as far as we are concerned, it is good that the application has been granted, so that he can go and take care of his health and come back.
“Beyond that, the evidence so far, after the defendants have been cross examined, has confirmed that there was valid contractual agreement between the parties. The evidence is documented without any discrepancy.
“Again, we are at a time in our country where our agencies should be careful the way we treat companies with the capacity to create employment and contribute to the growth of our economy, to avoid sending a wrong signal to prospective investors interested in doing business with the country,” Mr. Rabana said.
Incorporated as Atlantic Drilling Energy Concept Limited on July 19, 2010, the company signed a Strategic Alliance Agreement, SAA, with the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), the upstream production subsidiary of the NNPC.
Under the agreement, Atlantic took charge of four oil blocks – OML 26 FHN, OML 30 Shoreline, OML 34 Niger-Delta Oil and OML 42 Neconde, with the responsibility to provide funding, technical services, drill and sell crude oil.
However, in 2012, the company was accused of paying only $168million to government for about three million barrels of crude oil lifted valued at over $350 million.
In 2013, it also lifted about two million barrels of crude valued at about $240million, but allegedly paid only $68million. In 2014, the company lifted about 500,000 barrels of crude oil valued at $54 million.
But the company said its problem with government arose from contractual disagreement.
It said it has since reconciled its accounts with the NPDC, and that government was in the process of clearing it to bring in investors into the business.
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