The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Sunday, September 20, set up a team to investigate individuals named in shady deals in the Mambilla Power Project, involving Leno Adesanya, the promoter of Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Ltd (Sunrise).
The new team is being supervised by EFCC Chairman Olanipekun Olukoyede.
The development followed an award issued in favour of Nigeria on Thursday, September 17, by an International Arbitration Tribunal under the auspices of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris, which rejected claims made by Sunrise in an arbitration against the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Sunrise had demanded $680 million as a settlement sum and interest in connection with another arbitration in which it is seeking more than $2.7 billion in compensation and interest.
The claims relate to disputes surrounding the development of the 3,960-megawatt Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project in Taraba state.
In its verdict on Thursday, the tribunal ordered Sunrise and its promoter to refund Nigeria’s legal fees of $11.8 million.
It also rejected Sunrise’s claim for an order directing Nigeria to pay the company $400 million in satisfaction of a $200 million settlement sum and a $200 million default sum.
Several Nigerian politicians and former public officials were named as associates or officials who had dealings with Adesanya, with some of those dealings questioned or criticised by the tribunal.
Those named include former vice-president Atiku Abubakar, his ex-wife Jennifer Douglas, former attorney-general of the federation Abubakar Malami, former minister of power Olu Agunloye, former national security adviser Sambo Dasuki, his son Abubakar Dasuki, Abdullahi Yola and Dere Awosika.
The tribunal criticised Malami, over actions it said were contrary to Nigeria’s national interest.
Atiku was also named in the tribunal’s review of a $500,000 payment made by Adesanya on January 30, 2003, from the Swiss bank account of his offshore company, China Castle Investments Ltd, to a United States (US) bank account belonging to Jennifer Douglas.
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