Nigeria in court battle to overturn $10bln arbitration award

By Libby George
LAGOS, July 13 (Reuters) - The Nigerian government has
uncovered previously unknown payments to the daughter of a
Nigerian official, its lawyer told a court on Monday, in its
latest attempt to overturn an arbitration award against it worth
close to $10 billion.
Process & Industrial Developments (P&ID), a firm set up to
carry out a gas project in Nigeria, won a $6.6 billion
arbitration award after the 2010 deal collapsed. The award has
been accruing interest since 2013 and is now worth nearly $10
billion.
Nigeria is seeking permission in the English courts to
appeal the award, granted in 2017, despite having missed the
28-day appeal deadline. It says new information came to light
only in late 2019.
In an online English court hearing, the Nigerian
government's lawyer said it has evidence of payments from
companies related to P&ID to Vera Taiga, one 11 days before the
deal was signed.
Vera's mother, Grace Taiga, was the chief lawyer for the
Petroleum Ministry at the time.
The government said one payment of $4,969.50 was made on
Dec. 30 2009, and a second of $5,000 on Jan. 31 2012.
The payments came to light following a U.S. discovery order
in New York, it said. The government also said P&ID officials,
and companies linked to it, paid several other officials in
relation to the deal. A message to Vera Taiga on LinkedIn was not immediately
returned.
Nigeria's anti-graft agency charged Grace Taiga last year
with accepting bribes and failing to follow protocol related to
the contract. She has pleaded not guilty and awaits trial.
Last week, Nigeria suspended the head of the anti-corruption
body leading the investigation after the attorney general
accused the agency of diverting funds that had been recovered
during graft investigations. Ibrahim Magu, head of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC), has not responded to requests for comment.
P&ID has said Nigeria is engaged in a "manufactured fraud
investigation" that has denied its subjects due process.
In a skeleton legal argument, its lawyers said the payments
were legitimate and for medical expenses.
The hearing will continue on Tuesday, and the judge's ruling
will determine whether the government can continue its appeal
and present its full case of alleged fraud in the English
courts.