By our Reporter
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, arraigned Micad Project City Services Limited and James Nolan before Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja on a 20-count charge of obtaining by false pretense, non-compliance with the Money Laundering Act 2011 (as amended) and criminal conversion of proceeds of crime to the tune N151,394,328.00 (One Hundred and Fifty-one Million, Three Hundred and Ninety-four Thousand, Three Hundred and Twenty-eight Naira).
James Nolan, a director of the company and signatory to its account, allegedly obtained by false pretense the sum of N151, 394,328.00 from the Federal Capital Territory Administration.
One of the counts reads: “That you James Nolan and Neil Murray(at large), sometime in January 2017, in Abuja, within the Abuja Judicial Division of the Federal High Court conspired to obtain by false pretense and with intent to defraud to wit: falsely representing to the Federal Capital Territory Administration that you are the authorized representatives of MICAD PROJECT SERVICES LIMITED and collecting the sum of N151,394,328.00(One Hundred and Fifty-one Million, Three Hundred and Ninety-four Thousand, Three Hundred and Twenty-eight Naira) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud Act 2006 and Punishable under section 1(3) of the same law.”
Another count reads; “ That you, MICAD PROJECT CITY SERVICES LIMITED; James Nolan acting as director of MICAD PROJECT CITY SERVICES LIMITED and signatory to the company’s bank account; Neil Murray(at large), acting as director of MICAD PROJECT CITY SERVICES LIMITED and signatory to the company’s bank account; and Gerrard Gallagher(alias Gerry Gallagher) (at large), a director of MICAD PROJECT CITY SERVICES LIMITED; sometime in May 2017, in Abuja, within the Abuja Judicial Division of the Federal High Court, failed to report in writing to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission a single lodgment transaction of the sum of N151,394,328.00(One Hundred and Fifty-one Million, Three Hundred and Ninety-four Thousand, Three Hundred and Twenty-eight Naira) from the Federal Capital Development Authority into the Access Bank Plc account number 0087397043 of MICAD PROJECT CITY SERVICES LIMITED, as required under section 10(1)b of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011(as amended), and you thereby committed an offence under section 10(3) of the said Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended0 and punishable under section 10(3) of the same Act.”
The second defendant pleaded “not guilty” to all the charges when they were read to him.
Justice Egwuatu however entered a “not guilty” plea for the first defendant on counts 1, 3, 5, 7, 11 and 13.
Justice Egwuatu granted bail to the first defendant on the terms of a previous bail granted by Justice Okon Abang on 27 November, 2019 and varied by the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, on 26 July, 2020, and adjourned the matter until September 27, 2022 for trial.