The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has said the best option opened to Nigeria in its dispute with Process and Industrial Developments Limited is negotiation.
Malami, who spoke with newsmen in Abuja on Sunday, said the Federal Government at a point decided to negotiate with the firm despite being aware that the contract for which a court in the United Kingdom had ordered the firm to seize Nigeria’s assets worth $9.6 billion was fraudulent.
He said the government took the decision because at the inception of the present administration, there was already an award and the timeline for government to appeal had elapsed.
He said since the previous Peoples Democratic Party-led Government did not appeal, the option left for the administration as of the time was to negotiate, despite its reservations about the contract.
He also said the previous administration and the lawyers it hired should be blamed for the court case instituted on the matter in a Nigerian court, which was struck out due to lack of diligent prosecution.
“Even if, indeed, any case was struck out, it was at a time when lawyers engaged by the previous administration were in charge,” he said.
Malami said there was no limitation on who can be invited for questioning by the relevant security agencies in the probe of the matter.
He said those to be probed include persons involved in drafting and signing of the agreement, conduct, trial and “other personalities of interest”.
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