The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday asked for the death certificate of the former Director of Legal, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Grace Taiga.
Taiga’s lawyer, Daniel Alumun, had told the Federal Capital Territory High Court on November 4, 20,23 that his client had passed away.
Taiga was facing trial before Justice Olukayode Adeniyi on charges of bribery in the scandalous Gas Supply Processing Agreement between Process and Industrial Development and the Federal Government of Nigeria.
She was first brought to the court on Sept 20, 2019, in the case, marked, FCT/HC/CR/504/19 on eight charges. On October 3, 2020, the EFCC added three more charges and then amended the charges to 13 on January 10, 2021. The EFCC had revised the charge against the defendant twice, from eight-count to 11-count and then to 13-count.
In the 13-count amended charge filed by the anti-graft agency, Taiga was accused of taking a bribe through her offshore bank account for signing the controversial GPSA.
EFCC also alleged that she broke various laws by entering into the Agreement without prior approval by the Federal Executive Council and a certificate of no objection to the contract from the Bureau of Public Enterprise.