Absence of EFCC’s witnesses stalls Omokore’s trial over $1.6bn crude oil scam

Olajide Omokore

The trial of an ally of the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke and a businessman, Jide Omokore, and others for alleged diversion of $1.6 billion, being proceeds of sales of Federal Government’s crude oil, could not go on on Thursday before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court sitting  in Abuja due to the absence of witnesses billed to testify for the prosecution.

Counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), who is prosecuting Omokore and other defendants on behalf of the Federal Government told the court that he regretted the failure of the two witnesses scheduled to give to testify for the prosecution in court yesterday.

The resumed trial of Omokore and his co-defendants commenced on  Wednesday, with the testimony of the fourth prosecution witness who was also cross-examined by the defence, and the matter was adjourned until Thursday for continuation of trial, only Jacobs to inform the court yesterday that the two witnesses, who were to arrive from Lagos, were not available despite earlier their earlier assurances that they would be in court for the proceedings.

He explained that one of the two witnesses was an investigative officer in the case but was recently transferred from Abuja to Lagos.

Justice Dimgba expressed worries for the failure of the witnesses to be in court and then adjourned the matter till March 1 and 2, 2018 for continuation of trial.

Recalled that Omokore, his two companies, Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Limited, are  facing trial alongside the former Managing Director of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), Victor Briggs, former Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production of the NNPC, Abiye Membere, former Manager, Planning and Commercial of the NNPC and David Mbanefo. Two of Omokore’s companies, AtlantiOmokore is facing trial alongside the former Managing Director of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, Victor Briggs, former Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production of the NNPC, Abiye Membere, former Manager, Planning and Commercial of the NNPC and  David Mbanefo are standing trial on a nine-count charge, bordering on alleged diversion of about $1.6 billion, being  part of proceeds of sales of petroleum products belonging to the Federal Government.