N50m Debt: Court Grants Garnishee Order against Former Culture and Tourism Minister’s Hotel Accounts

Bassey Inyang in Calabar

The Cross River State High Court 9 on Monday granted an Absolute Order to Sidpet Oil and Chemical Company Limited to garnishee all the the accounts of three banks operated by Mirage Investment, a hotel where former Minister of Culture and Tourism, High Chief Edem Duke, has serious stake.

Duke served during the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan from 2011 to 2015..
The order follows a judgment obtained by Sidpet Oil in October 2015 against Mirage Investment, operators of the Mirage Hotel following its failure to pay the sum of N50 million it accumulated for the supply of diesel for a period of one year.

The presiding judge, Justice Emmanuel Ayade, who granted the order, said he was surprised that a hotel of such magnitude could owe for diesel supplied for such a long period of time without payment even after a court judgment had been obtained by its creditor.

“How can this court believe that a hotel of the magnitude of Mirage has no money to pay for diesel and it has not liquidated. It is really unfortunate,” Justice Ayade said while granting the order.

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