Daniel Alumun, counsel defending retired Director of Legal, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Grace Taiga, in the alleged P&ID bribery scam, has formally informed a Federal Capital Territory High Court of the death of his client.
The lawyer made the formal announcement on Friday following the death of the Director on August 1, 2023.
Reports had it that she died from kidney-related illness and is scheduled for burial in her home state, Delta.
Taiga was standing trial before Justice Olukayode Adeniyi on allegations bordering on bribery in the controversial Gas Supply Processing Agreement between Process and Industrial Development and the Federal Government of Nigeria.
She was dragged before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on an amended 13-count charge bordering on bribery among others.
The EFCC alleged that Taiga received bribe through her offshore bank account in signing the controversial GPSA
It further alleged that she violated various laws by entering into the Agreement without prior approval by the Federal Executive Council and a certificate of no objection to the contract from the Bureau of Public Enterprise.
Taiga, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against her.
The deceased was first arraigned before the court in the case, marked: FCT/HC/CR/504/19, on September 20, 2019 on an eight-court charge before the charge brought against her was amended by the prosecution twice in the course of presenting its case.
The EFCC first amended the charge against the defendant on October 3, 2020 to 11-count and later further amended it to 13-count on January 10, 2021.
In the course of presenting its case, the prosecution called eight witnesses to testify against the defendant and closed its case on February 27, 2023, when the court directed the defendant to open her defence.
At the resumed hearing of the case on Friday, counsel for Taiga informed the court that the defendant died on August 1, 2023 at a hospital in Abuja.
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Alumun tendered a letter, titled: “Hospital Death Declaration,” from Primus International Super Speciality Hospital, Karu New Extension, Abuja to notify the court of the demise of Taiga.
In view of the unfortunate development, the defence counsel urged the court to dismiss the charge.
The EFCC counsel, Abba Mohammed, however, insisted that a death certificate must be brought before the court by the defence in compliance with the law before the court could dismiss the case.
Justice Adeniyi agreed with the submission of the prosecuting counsel and directed that a death certificate be produced before the court.
He subsequently adjourned the case until January 24, 2024 for compliance with the law by the defence.
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