GUARDIAN
A prosecution witness in the trial of $9.6billion Process and Industrial Development Limited, P&ID, fraud, Umar Hussein Babangida, has revealed how the managing director of Trinity Biotech Nigeria Limited, Patrick Nash a.k.a Gerald Nash escaped being arrested.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a statement said Babangida told Justice D.O Okorowo of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja that efforts made to bring Nash to trial proved abortive after he had fled Nigeria before he could be arrested.
“My team visited the office of Trinity Biotech Nigeria Limited, located on the 1st floor, Oyo State House, Ralph Shodende Street, Abuja where efforts were made to trace the Managing Director, whose name is Patrick Nash, also known as Gerald Nash, an Irish, but we were informed by the company`s directors, Ibrahim Millar and Uzor Eneli that he has long left the country”, he said.
Babangida also told the defence counsel, Michael Ajara, under cross-examination that he headed the team that investigated the matter.
The prosecution witness further said that the investigation was prompted by a petition from the office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice.
He added that the petition was owing to a judgment against the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the tune of $9.6bn in favour of P&ID company.
“My team and I interacted with the Federal Ministry of Petroleum to aid our investigation,” Babangida said.
“We also relied on responses from the Corporate Affairs Commission, C.A.C, where requests were made on the name of the company, names and addresses of shareholders, changes and information available with them which they provided with proof of documents.
