BY GABRIEL    ENOGHOLASE

BENIN—ONE of the defendants in the suit by Justice Gladys Olotu (rtd) against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, before an Abuja Federal High Court, Total E & P Nigeria Ltd (formerly Elf Nigeria Ltd), has denied instructing any counsel to write a petition on its behalf in the matter of Mouna Youssefian and three others vs. TEPNG to the National Judicial Council, NJC.

The NJC was said to have recommended the compulsory retirement of Justice Olotu based on petitions including the one allegedly said to have been written by Mr. Harvey Ideozor of Greenfield Legal practitioners on behalf of Ponticelli Nigeria Ltd, Stolt Offshore Services S.A, the Vessel MV Theo, owners of the vessel MV Theo, Elf Petroleum Nigeria Ltd, ABD Marines A.G, the Vessel MV Lara and the Vessel MV Krysia; and Mr. S. B. Harry of S. B. Harry and Co.

However, Total E&P Nigeria Ltd., in a letter addressed to S. I. Aheh, SAN, counsel to Justice Olotu, and signed by Oatowun Candide- Johnson (General Counsel), and titled Re: Pre-action notice, said: “We are in receipt of your letter with the above subject matter dated March 24, 2014.

“This is to inform you that, TEPNG did not at any time instruct counsel nor did it cause any petition to be written on its behalf in the matter of Mouna Youssefian and three others versus TEPNG. As we have never seen the petition in question, we would be grateful to receive a copy as soon as possible.”

Justice Olotu was also alleged to have “failed to deliver judgment only to deliver same in suit No FHC/UY/250/2003, 18 months after the final address by the counsel in the suit, contrary to the constitutional provisions that judgments should be delivered within 90 days.”
Vanguard gathered that the widow and children of an offshore worker, Mr. Yusuf Youssefian,  who allegedly died on board an offshore vessel MV Theo, a floating hotel on June 21, 2003, after being ill same day, had instituted a case against eight parties.

The parties included:- Ponticelli Nigeria Ltd, Stolt Offshore Services SA, the Vessel MV Theo and owners, Elf Petroleum Nigeria Ltd, ABC Marine AG, the Vessel MV Lara and the Vessel MV Krysia.

Justice Olotu was said to have decided the case in favour of the widow and her children noting that the defendants failed to evacuate the deceased promptly or comply with the Medical Evacuation Plan as provided in the contract to provide hotel service between Elf Petroleum Nigeria Ltd and Stolt Offshore Service.

Besides, the widow and her children were said to have sought to enforce the judgment in their favour in a garnishee proceedings against the banks alleged to be in possession of monies funds belonging to the defendants/ judgment debtors and the garnishee order was temporary granted by the court.

It was further learnt that Elf Petroleum Nigeria Ltd and Pontiocelli as judgment debtors and who were not parties to the garnishee proceedings, filed separate applications to discharge the temporary garnishee order.