Nigeria Celebrates $10Billion UK Court Relief over P&ID

Malik Yahya/

The Federal Government of Nigeria has welcomed the judgment by a UK Court granting its application for an extension of time and relief from sanctions in a $10 billion arbitration case with Process and Industrious Development Limited (P&ID) in Nigeria.

A statement from the Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media, Malam Garba Shehu, says, “In our view, the judgment is right, just and provides a strong prima facie case that the fraudulent gas deal with P&ID and the subsequent judgment debt of $10 billion against Nigeria was a clear attempt to cheat the country of billions of dollars by a company that had not invested one Naira in our country.

“On the arbitration award, it is a source of huge satisfaction that the UK Court, among others, had ruled that: ‘Nigeria has established a strong prima facie case that the Gas Supply and Processing (GSPA) was procured by bribes paid to insiders as part of a larger scheme to defraud Nigeria.

‘‘There is also a strong prima facie case that that (P&ID) main witness in the arbitration, Mr Quinn, gave a perjured evidence to the Tribunal, and that contrary to that evidence, P&ID was not in the position to perform the contract.’’

The President’s spokesman expressed delight with the processes that led to this outcome in the English Court, noting that it has given relief to the Nigerian government to further protect the national assets from criminally-minded organisations and individuals.  

He stated: “The views of the UK court thus provide sufficient grounds for the Federal Government to go ahead and challenge the frauds perpetrated by the company and overturn the arbitration award.

“President Muhammadu Buhari, therefore, commends the team of lawyers who represented Nigeria in the matter with P&ID and reassures all well-meaning Nigerians and the international community of his unwavering commitment to fight corruption in all its forms and manifestation.”