Alleged Contract Scam: Court Grants NLNG, Ex-MD Right Of Appeal

A Port Harcourt Magistrate Court has granted the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG); former Managing Director, Tony Attah; and Head of Legal, Akachukwu Nwokedi; leave to appeal earlier ruling against their preliminary objection to a case of alleged criminal breach of contract.
Chief Magistrate, Blessing Vic-Jumbo, in a ruling, yesterday, also struck out the substantive suit, explaining that for private prosecution, the police must enter an indictment through an investigation, a condition the complainants/respondent have yet to meet.
The complainants, Macobarb International and its Managing Director, Shedrack Ogboru, have in the substantive suit dragged the accused to court to face charges bordering on false pretences, fraudulent tricks, and misrepresentations’ in a contentious contract NLNG awarded to Macobarb.
The chief magistrate recalled that the court did right by issuing an order to the police to investigate the case but that despite several excuses and adjournments, the police failed to submit report of their investigation.
She expressed disgust at the situation where every party has done its part but the police failed to do theirs, asserting that the court was not to do the investigation.
Vic-Jumbo, therefore, advised the complainant/respondents, Shedrack Ogboru and Macobarb International, to go by way of order of mandamus to compel the police to do their job and submit a report of their investigation.
She said until the police do their job, there is no case to continue in the criminal charge against the NLNG and two others being for alleged ‘false pretences, fraudulent tricks, and misrepresentations’ in a contract NLNG awarded Macobarb International in 2014.
Reacting to the ruling, counsel to Macobarb, Morrison Uzoma, said the court granting right of appeal to the NLNG while also ruling that there was no case to try appeared contradictory to his client.
He said the case was being diligently pursued and that his client would weigh the advice of the court in going the way of mandamus ex-parte.