Tobi Adebayo
The Rivers State Government has added five more defendants in its fraud case filed against Saipem SPA and Saipem Contracting Nigeria Limited at the state High Court.
Recall that the state government had filed criminal charges against the company for failing to install gas turbines into the foundations of the OCGT power plant in Port Harcourt after obtaining a 25% advance payment from the State Government.
However, in a new court document obtained by THISNIGERIA, the Rivers government, through the state Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice, filed an amended 16-count charge against the company and added its officers to the suit.
The new defendants include Walter Peviani, Kelechi Sinteh Chinakwe, Michele Poggi, Giandomenico Zingali, Vitto Testaguza and Davide Annelli.
It was disclosed in a signed affidavit submitted to the court that “the Defendants i.e Saipem SPA and Saipem Contracting Nigeria Limited with the 3rd Defendant being their alter ego, having not installed the gas turbine in the foundations woefully failed to meet the condition for a further release of the next tranche of payment of 25% but by false pretence and with intent to defraud have gone ahead to obtain same from the Government of Rivers State.”
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“Upon attempts to peaceably persuade the Defendants to complete the project, the Defendants have refused and are using the disadvantaged position of the Rivers State Government, having parted with its scarce funds, to arm-twist the Rivers State Government to meet their demands of $97 Million USD or perpetually suffer the loss of the entire project.
“The Defendants, especially the 2nd Defendant herein have in spite of their clear infractions of the terms of the contract audaciously purported to revoke the contract with Rivers State Government and demanded the sum of about $97,000,000.00 to enable it to return to the site to complete the obligations for which they have been fully paid in accordance with the contracts,” the affidavit read in part.
