The Nation Newspaper

Tag: subsidy fraud

  • Court picks May 24 for trial of oil marketers

    Court picks May 24 for trial of oil marketers

    A Lagos High Court in Ikeja on Wednesday fixed May 24 for trial of two oil marketers, Aro Bamidele and Abiodun Bankole, accused of N1.3 billion fuel subsidy fraud.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had arraigned the marketers on October 5, 2012 alongside their company, ASB Investment Limited.

    Justice Lateefat Okunnu set the trial date following the absence of the lead counsel of the marketers, Chief Anthony Idigbe (SAN), from court.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Idigbe sent a letter through a counsel from his chambers, Mr. N.K. Oragwu, informing the court that he was outside the country.

    He urged the court to vacate the earlier dates fixed for the trial and pick fresh dates for the proceedings.

    The EFCC counsel, Mr. Toyosi Kutayi, did not oppose the call for the adjournment.

    The judge therefore fixed May 24 and 27 as well as June 5 and 6, as fresh trial dates.

     

  • Subsidy fraud: EFCC files amended charge against Arisekola’s son

    Subsidy fraud: EFCC files amended charge against Arisekola’s son

    ..And two others

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Friday filed an amended charge against an oil marketer, Abdullahi Alao, who is standing trial for an alleged N1.1 billion fuel subsidy fraud.

    Abdullahi is the son of a prominent businessman, Alhaji Abdullazeez Arisekola-Alao.

    According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the amended charge was filed before Justice Lateefat Okunnu of a Lagos High Court in Ikeja.

    He is being prosecuted alongside two other oil marketers, Opeyemi Ajuyah and Olarenwaju Olalusi, and their companies — Majope Investment Limited and Axenergy Limited In the amended charge.

    The defendants are facing an eight-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretences, forgery, altering and use of false documents.

    The EFCC had on October 10 last year arraigned the defendants on a six-count charge of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretences, forgery,altering and use of false documents.

    They had all pleaded not guilty to the charge and were granted bail in the sum of N75 million with two sureties in like sum.

    EFCC counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), had alleged that the defendants had on February 14, 2011, fraudulently obtained N1.1 billion from the Federal Government.

    Jacobs had alleged that the defendants obtained the money from the Petroleum Support Fund (PSF) for the purported importation of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from Europe to Nigeria.

    Jacobs had further claimed that the accused forged a document titled: “Shore Tank Certificate” dated January 21, 2011 purporting the document to have been issued by an officer of Q and Q Control Services Limited.

    They were also alleged to have forged other documents including bills of lading to facilitate the fraud.

    He had said their alleged offences contravened Sections 1, (sub-sections 1,2,3) and 8 of the Advanced Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.

    The court is yet to fix a date for the defendants to be re-arraigned on the amended charge.

     

  • Subsidy fraud: EFCC re-arraigns two oil marketers

    Subsidy fraud: EFCC re-arraigns two oil marketers

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday re-arraigned two oil marketers, Oluwaseun Ogunbambo and Habila Theck, on an amended charge of N976.6 million fuel subsidy theft.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the marketers were re-arraigned alongside their company, Fargo Petroleum and Gas Limited, before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo of a Lagos High Court in Ikeja.

    The defendants are facing a 10-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence, forgery, uttering and use of forged documents among others.

    EFCC counsel, Mr. Francis Usani, alleged that the defendants conspired with one Olugbegan Adesanya (still at large) to fraudulently obtain N976.6 million from the Federal Government of Nigeria.

    Usani alleged that the defendants obtained the money as subsidy payments from the Petroleum Support Fund (PSF) for the purported importation of 13.6 million litres of Premium Motor Spirits (PMS).

    He said the PMS was purportedly purchased from one Seatac Petroleum Limited and imported into Nigeria through MT Diplomat Ex MT Milleura.

    Usani further alleged that the defendants had on October 14, in Lagos, forged a document entitled Certificate of Origin, Port of Loading Antwerp, Belgium, which was used to facilitate the fraud.

    Usani added that the defendants falsely claimed that the document was issued by Seatac Petroleum Limited.

    According to him, the offences contravened Sections 1, (sub-sections 1,2,3) and 8 of the Advanced Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.

    Usani also said the offences contravened Sections 363 and 364 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.

    The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

     

  • Subsidy fraud: ‘Tukur, Alao sons discussing with EFCC’

    Subsidy fraud: ‘Tukur, Alao sons discussing with EFCC’

    Two oil marketers, Mahmud Tukur and Abdullahi Alao on Tuesday informed the Lagos High Court, Ikeja, that they were in discussion with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, regarding the charges preferred against them.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Tukur and Alao were charged to court for an alleged N1.8 billion fuel subsidy fraud.

    The defendants are sons of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party and prominent businessman, Alhaji Abdulazeez Arisekola-Alao, respectively.

    They were arraigned alongside Ochonogor Alex and Eternal Oil and Gas Plc before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo of a Lagos High Court.

    The defendants had pleaded not guilty and were each granted bail in the sum of N20 million.

    At the resumed proceedings on Tuesday, the defence counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun and Prof. Taiwo Osipitan (both Senior Advocates of Nigeria), hinted the court of the talks between the parties.

    Olanipekun said:”We have studied the processes filed by the prosecution.

    “We as senior counsel, owe it as a duty to our clients to enter into discussion with the prosecution regarding the charge.

    “That is why we did not challenge the charge when it was filed.

    “We are, therefore, asking the court to give us more time to engage in this discussion, so that the matter can be speedily resolved.”

    EFCC counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) also confirmed that both parties were talking.

    The judge acceded to their request and adjourned the matter to December 15 for mention.

     

  • Court to re-arraign Ahmadu Ali’s son, three others November 26

    Court to re-arraign Ahmadu Ali’s son, three others November 26

    A Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, on Monday picked November 26 for the re-arraignment of Mamman, son of former Peoples Democratic Party national chairman, Ahmadu Ali and three others.

    The quartet are standing trial for their alleged involvement inN4.4 billion fuel subsidy fraud.

    The defendants were expected to be re-arraigned before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo on Monday but the court failed to sit.

    No reason was given for the failure of the court to sit.

    Ali junior was initially arraigned on July 26 alongside Christian Taylor and Nasaman Oil Services, for an alleged N2.2 billion fuel subsidy fraud.

    At the last sitting of the court on October 30, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission informed the court of the prosecution’s intention to re-arraign the defendants on an amended charge.

    EFCC counsel, Mr. Francis Usani had said the amended charge would enable them to join another oil marketer, Oluwaseun Ogunbambo, as a co-defendant in the matter.

    In the amended charge now before the court, the defendants would be facing a 13 count charge of fuel subsidy fraud.

    The EFCC, in the new charge, alleged that the defendants were involved in subsidy fraud amounting to about N4.4 billion.

    The commission alleged that the defendants had conspired to obtain the money from the Federal Government for the purported importation of 30.5million litres of Premium Motor Spirits (PMS).

    The EFCC said the alleged offences contravened Sections 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2006.

     

  • EFCC arraigns 13 new oil marketers for N4.6 billion subsidy fraud

    EFCC arraigns 13 new oil marketers for N4.6 billion subsidy fraud

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday arraigned 13 new oil marketers at a Lagos High Court, Ikeja for fuel subsidy fraud in the sum of N4.6 billion.

    The EFCC alleged that they obtained the money by false pretence and using fake documents.

    Ten of the oil marketers, made up of six persons and four companies, were arraigned before Justice Habeeb Abiru while the remaining three, made up of two individuals and one company were arraigned before Justice Lateefa Okunnnu.

    The six indicted oil marketers and their four companies were arraigned before Justice Habeeb Abiru on an eight- count charge.

    The charges bordered on “conspiracy to obtain by false pretence, obtaining by false pretence, conspiracy to forge documents and uttering false documents”.

    The EFCC alleged that the marketers and their companies had conspired to and also obtain huge sums of money from the Federal Government of Nigeria, purporting the sum to be payment for subsidy under the Petrol Support Fund for the purported importation of Premium Motor spirit from Europe to Nigeria.

    Those arraigned before Justice Abiru are Anosyke Group of Companies Ltd, Ifeanyi Anosike, Dell Energy Ltd, Emeka Chukwu, Ngozi Ekeoma, Downstream Energy Sources Ltd, Alhaji Adamu Aliyu Maula, Rocky Energy Ltd, George Ogbonna and Emmanuel.

    According to the charge sheets, Anosyke Group of Companies, Ifeanyi Anosike, Dell Energy Limited, Emeka Chukwu and Ngozi Ekeoma were arraigned on an eight count charge bordering on conspiracy to obtain by false pretence; forgery and uttering false documents to the tune of N1,537,278,880.82( One Billion, Five Hundred and Thirty Seven Million, Two Hundred and Seventy Eight Thousand, Eight Hundred and

    Eighty Naira, Eighty-Two Kobo), being payments fraudulently received from the Petroleum Support Fund for a purported supply of 15, 000 metric tonnes of Premium Motor Spirit.

    On the other hand, the commission arraigned Downstream Energy Sources Limited, Alhaji Adamu Aliyu Maula, Rocky Energy Limited, George Ogbonna and Emmanuel Morah on an eight count charge also bordering on conspiracy to obtain property by false pretence; conspiracy to forge documents, forgery and uttering false documents to the tune of N789,648,329.25( Seven Hundred and Eighty Nine Million, Six Hundred and Forty Eight Thousand, Three Hundred and Twenty Nine Naira, Twenty-Five Kobo), being payments fraudulently received from the Petroleum Support Fund for a purported supply of 14,273,0227 litres of Premium Motor Spirit.

    The EFCC claimed that all the defendants at various times, forged different bill of ladens for Premium Motor Spirit, PMS not supplied all in a bid to claim the federal government subsidy on fuel.

    The ten accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges and their counsel applied for a date for hearing of bail application for them.

    They also prayed the court to order that the defendants be remanded in EFCC custody as against prison custody.

    Justice Abiru granted the request of the defendants as he ordered that they be remanded in EFCC custody.

    He thereafter adjourned the matter till October 19, 2012 for hearing of their bail applications.