Alleged P&ID scam: Court remands ex-director Taiga

A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, ordered that Grace Taiga, a female accomplice in the multiple fraud involving Process and Industrial Development Limited (P&ID), be remanded in Suleja Correctional Centre pending the perfection of her bail terms.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu gave the order following the inability of Mrs Taiga to meet the bail conditions.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Taiga, a former Director of Legal Services, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, was admitted to N30 million bail on Oct. 27, 2021.

Justice Egwuatu, in a ruling, also ordered her to produce two sureties in the like sum, who must be residents in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

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NAN reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had, on Oct. 7, 2021, re-arraigned Taiga before Egwuatu on nine counts bordering on money laundering offences but pleaded not guilty to all counts.

The judge also ruled that one of the sureties must have property within the FCT and deposit the titled documents with the deputy chief registrar of the court.

Egwuatu, who held that the two sureties must have evidence of tax clearance, ordered that the defendant (Taiga) must deposit her international passport with the deputy chief registrar of the court and must get court permission before travelling outside Nigeria.

The judge then adjourned the matter until today for commencement of trial.

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But when the matter was called on Monday, counsel to the defendant, Ola Olanipekun, SAN, said they were still in the process of perfecting the bail conditions.

The prosecution counsel, Abba Mohammed, prayed that the defendant be remanded in Suleja Correctional Centre pending the bail perfection.

The judge granted the prayer.

Earlier, Taiga was arraigned on seven-count charge as against the nine counts preferred against her.

After taking her plea, she pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The judge adjourned the matter until Feb. 3 for trial commencement.

NAN reports that on Sept. 20, 2019, the EFCC, arraigned Taiga in an FCT High Court in Apo, for complicity in the controversial contract Nigeria signed with the Irish firm, P&ID, in 2008.

Taiga, was the third person to be charged by the anti-graft agency.(NAN)