The Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted British national James Nolan in absentia over money laundering offences connected to the controversial $9.6 billion Process and Industrial Developments (P&ID) dispute.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu also convicted Micad Project City Services Ltd, a subsidiary linked to Process and Industrial Developments Ltd, after finding the company guilty on multiple charges filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Court Finds Nolan Guilty on Multiple Counts
The EFCC had arraigned Nolan and Micad Project City Services Ltd in 2022 on a 20-count charge involving alleged money laundering, forgery, and obtaining by false pretence tied to the P&ID scandal.
Delivering judgment, Justice Egwuatu convicted Nolan on all counts except Count 13, which was struck out because the alleged offence occurred before the enactment of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011.
The judge ruled that Nolan, who fled Nigeria after being granted bail, would be sentenced once he is arrested and returned to Nigeria through INTERPOL.
According to the court:
“I am satisfied that the prosecution called credible witnesses and tendered documentary evidence to establish its case against the defendants.”
The court also convicted Micad Project City Services Ltd on Counts 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11.
Trial Conducted in Absentia
Justice Egwuatu held that Nolan’s trial in absentia complied with Section 352(4) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.
The court additionally ordered the arrest of Adam Quinn, who remains at large.
The EFCC argued successfully that forged company documents were used to access funds linked to the companies involved in the case.
EFCC Alleges Forged Signatures
According to the anti-graft agency, Micad Project City Services Ltd is linked to P&ID and associated with Lloyd Quinn and Adam Quinn.
Investigators alleged that Nolan forged signatures to gain access to company funds after Lloyd Quinn reportedly died in 2014.
Nolan and the company pleaded not guilty after being arraigned in May 2022. However, after securing bail with conditions including a N100 million bond, Nolan reportedly fled Nigeria in September 2022 and was later declared wanted.
He was subsequently re-arrested in Italy by INTERPOL in January 2024 during a visit to his wife, though extradition proceedings to Nigeria are still pending.
P&ID Case Remains Major International Dispute
The judgment marks another major development in Nigeria’s long-running legal battle over the P&ID contract dispute, one of the country’s largest corruption-related international arbitration cases.
Nigerian authorities have consistently maintained that the gas processing contract and subsequent arbitration process were tainted by fraud and corruption.
In July 2024, another Federal High Court led by Justice Donatus Okorowo ordered the winding up of two companies linked to Nolan:
The companies were found guilty of money laundering offences, and their assets were forfeited to the Federal Government.
The EFCC says efforts to recover assets and prosecute individuals connected to the P&ID scandal are ongoing.
