P&ID director arraigned for ‘money laundering’ granted bail on health grounds

The federal high court, Abuja, on Thursday, admitted Muhammed Kuchazi, a commercial director of the Process and Industrial Development (P&ID), to N10 million bail.

Justice Folashade Giwa-Ogunbanjo admitted Kuchazi to bail with two sureties in the like sum who must be civil servants not below the rank of a director.

Giwa-Ogunbanjo also ruled that the sureties must have landed property in Abuja and deposed to an affidavit of means.

The judge held that before Kuchazi travels outside the shores of the country for medical attention, he must notify the court through a written letter.

She ordered that the travel documents be submitted to the deputy registrar of the court.

Giwa-Ogunbanjo, who directed that the defendant be kept in the EFCC custody pending when he was able to perfect his bail, adjourned the matter until April 27 and 28 for the commencement of trial.

Earlier, Kuchazi’s Lawyer, Felix Tyokase, told the court about the bail application brought pursuant to relevant sections of the law.

He said the application was brought on the ground that his client was critically ill and needed medical attention.

The EFCC had, on Monday, arraigned Kuchazi, before the court on eight counts bordering on money laundering.

Although Kuchazi was arraigned alongside his company, Kore Holdings Limited, he pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

While the company is the first defendant in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/319/2020, Kuchazi is the second defendant.

P&ID, an Irish engineering company, claimed it entered a contract to build a gas processing plant in Calabar, Cross River state, with the Nigerian government, but that the deal collapsed because the government did not fulfill its own end of the bargain.

It then sued Nigeria at the British court and secured a 9.6 billion-dollar judgment in its favour. However, Nigeria was granted debt relief by the UK court.

In 2019, the EFCC had preferred 11 charges bordering on economic sabotage and money laundering against P&ID and its local subsidiary.

Kuchazi and Adamu Usman, another director, had answered to the charges on behalf of the company, and P&ID was pronounced guilty on September 19, 2019.