A Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out one of the nine counts of $1.6bn crude oil fraud instituted against a businessman, Jide Omokore, and five others.
In a ruling delivered by Justice Nnamdi Dimgba on Wednesday, the court struck out one of the charges – count eight – after hearing an application by a former minister of petroleum resources, Mrs Diezani Allison-Madueke.
Diezani had told the court that she was indicted on the particular count without being given the opportunity to defend herself.
The six defendants listed in the case are Jide Omokore, Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Limited.
Other defendants are a former managing director of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, Victor Briggs; a former group executive director, Exploration and Production of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Abiye Membere; and a former manager, NNPC Planning and Commercial, David Mbanefo.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had preferred nine counts of criminal diversion of about $1.6bn, alleged to be part of proceeds of sales of petroleum products belonging to the Federal Government, against the six defendants.
Diezani, who is said to be currently in the United Kingdom, was indicted alongside the other defendants in “count eight” of the charges, where she was accused of aiding Omokore in the commission of money laundering offence.
