Former NNPC Big Wigs, Victor Briggs and Abiye Membere Found Guilty
An Abuja High Court has found the chairman of Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts and Atlantic Energy Brass, Jide Omokore, not guilty of fraud and money laundering charges relating to $1.6billion alledgedly diverted using an oil swap arrangement.
Omokore had been arraigned by the EFCC for receiving crude oil from the Nigerian government under false pretenses while not havign either the expertise or funds to execute the oil swap.
The Judge, Nnamdi Dimgba, ruled that the evidence given by Andrew Yakubu who is a former Group Managing Director of the NNPC, that the contract entered between the defendants were legally filed by all parties involved.
The Judge subsequently discharged the defendants of the charges including money laundering and fraud.
However, former NNPC big wigs, Victor Briggs and Abiye Membere were found guilty of receiving car gifts from Jide Omokore. The Judge found them guilty of violating section 38 of the Nigerian Criminal Code which forbids public servants from receiving gifts from firms or individuals involved in business dealings with their office.
The EFCC had dragged Jide Omokere and his two companies, Kola Akanni Aluko, Abiye Membere, Victor Briggs, David Mbanefo and Diezani Alison-Madueke to court for the oil swap arrangement.
Diezani Alison-Madueke and Kola Aluko are currently at large.
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