The federal government has revealed allegation of bribery and corruption against Leno Adesanya, the promoter of Sunrise Power and Transmission Company, in papers filed before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.
According to an online newspaper, TheCable, Olu Agunloye, a former minister of power, in his motion on notice, attached documents in which the federal government alleged that Adesanya offered money and women to ministers in the immediate-past Muhammadu Buhari administration in trying to secure favourable recommendations on the $6billion Mambilla hydroelectric power project.
In January 2024, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Agunloye before a Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations of fraud in the award of the contract in 2003.
Sunrise is in arbitration with Nigeria at the ICC International Court of Arbitration, Paris, France, demanding $2.3 billion in compensation for the country’s failure to honour the contract which was awarded by Agunloye — a day after the federal executive council (FEC) asked the then minister of power to step down the memo.
Nigeria is alleging fraud and corruption of public officials involved in the original contract award and also in the subsequent settlement agreements reached in an attempt to settle the dispute.
Nigeria is likening the conduct of Sunrise and its promoter to that of P&ID officials in the failed gas supply and processing agreement (GSPA) of 2010.
