Court voids bribery allegations against AITEO boss, awards ₦200m damages

The Federal Territory High Court, Abuja has voided allegations of corruption, bribery and money laundering leveled against the AITEO boss Benedict Peters by British and Nigerian agencies.

Justice Olukayode Adeniyi, further restrained the defendant from continued interference with the person of Mr. Peters, either by way of arrest, criminal indictment, charge, interdiction, extradition, or in any other manner infringing on his personal liberty and freedom of movement on the facts and circumstances of this case.

In an enrolled order of the court sighted by the Guardian, Justice Adeniyi made further injunctive reliefs in favour of Benedict Peters and the other claimants including an award of damages jointly and severally against the defendants in the sum of N 200 million.

The court also declared that the African Mr. Benedict Peters is a person of legitimate means and livelihood and Him and his related companies are the lawful owners of some properties wrongfully listed as owned by Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke.

The Court held that the defendants, by fraudulent designs suppressed and misrepresented facts in supposition that property legitimately acquired by the Claimant belonged to Mrs. Alison Madueke, a fact they knew or ought to know as unsustainably untrue.

The plaintiffs in the suit marked: FCT/HC/CV/0536/17 are Benedict Peter; Colinwood Ltd; Rosewood Ltd; Rosewood-investments Ltd and Walworth Properties Ltd.

The Claimants had contended in their suit that the Defendants engaged in a scheme of conspiracies, carousel fraud, misrepresentation and suppression of material facts which occasioned hardship, grave damages, loss of earnings, loss of goodwill and subjected the Plaintiffs to public contempt, odium and opprobrium.

The defendants in the suit are the AGF, EFCC, Crown Prosecution Services (United Kingdom), Helen Hughes, The National Crime Agency (United Kingdom) Stacey Boniface and John Bavister.