By Paul Michael, Defence Editor, Abuja
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday approached Justice D. U. Okorowo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, seeking the issuance of warrant of arrest against Directors and Shareholders of Marqott Nigeria Limited.
The Directors and Stakeholders who include Giovanni Beccarelli, Valentina Fontoli and Dimitri Duca, are set to be at large.
EFCC prosecution counsel, Bala Sanga, informed the court that the application which was filed on February 4, 2022 is pursuant to “Section 3, 35, 36 and 37 of ACJA 2015.”
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Justice Okorowo, however, reserved ruling on the application till March 15, 2022.
According to the EFCC, “Marqott Nigeria Limited, an accomplice in the $9.6billion Gas Supply and Processing Agreement, between the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and Process and Industrial Development, P&ID, Limited is facing prosecution by the EFCC on money laundering charges.”
The EFCC had on Monday, 7th February, 2022, arraigned Marqott Nigeria Limited on four counts of Money Laundering.
Earlier, EFCC Head, Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, in a press statement in Abuja said one of the count reads; “That you, Marqott Nigeria Limited, being a designated Non-financial Institution; and Giovanni Beccarelli, Valentina Fantoli, and Dimitri Duca, being directors of and signatories to the bank account of Marqott Nigeria Limited, sometime in September 2014, in Abuja, within the Abuja Judicial Division of the Federal High Court, failed to comply with the requirements of submitting to the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, a declaration of activities of Marqott Nigeria Limited contrary to section 16(1) (f) read together with Section 5(1)(a)(ii) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011(as amended and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 16(2)(b) of the same Act.”
