Mohammed Adoke, a former Attorney-General of the Federation, on Thursday, protested what he called deliberate false statements made against him on Wednesday by the Federal Government’s lawyer, Lucio Lucia, in the ongoing proceedings against Shell and Eni and other named individuals before the Milan Court in Italy over the OPL 245 transaction.
He, therefore, called on the Federal Government to debrief Lucia for “his embarrassing conduct, deliberate falsehood and dishonesty in a court of law.”
Adoke made his position known in a statement titled, ‘OPL 245 case: Nigeria’s lawyer contradicted FGN officials in Italian court.’
The former minister recalled that his lawyer, Femi Oboro, had on July 6, 2020 drawn the public’s attention to “the deliberate and malicious falsehoods” contained in the statements made by the Milan prosecutor in the ongoing proceedings over Malabu.
He said Lucia, while representing the interest of the Federal Government as the injured party entitled to civil compensation, had on Wednesday allegedly “reaffirmed the indictment of Mr Adoke and others in the heist” in connection with the OPL 245 Resolution Agreement.
Adoke reiterated that his official role as AGF in the implementation of OPL 245 settlement agreement has been the subject of judicial pronouncement by the Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over by Justice Binta Nyako.
He quoted Justice Nyako as saying that his involvement in the implementation of a settlement agreement dated 30th November, 2006 and the eventual execution of Block 245 Malabu Resolution Agreement dated April 29, 2011 was “in furtherance of the lawful directives/approval of the President in the exercise of his executive powers.”
Adoke said, “It is clear that Mr Lucio Lucia cannot assert on behalf of the same Federal Government of Nigeria a position that is contrary to the unassailable declarations in the subsisting judgment of the Federal High Court.
“Mr Lucio Lucia also lied to the court that I was extradited from Dubai for corruption related to OPL 245, knowing fully that nothing of sort ever happened.”
Adoke called on the Federal Government to “debrief Mr Lucio Lucia for his embarrassing conduct, deliberate falsehood and dishonesty in a court of law.”
