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, purpoting the sums to be payments
for subsidy under the Petrol Support Fund for the purported importation
of premium motor spirit from Europe to Nigeria.
Those arraigned before Justice Abiru
were 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 one 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, being payments fraudulently
received from the Petroleum Support Fund for 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, 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 bills of laden for premium motor
spirit not supplied all in a bid to claim the Federal Government’s
subsidy on fuel.
The 10 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.
Eight oil companies and marketers were
initially billed to appear before justice Lateefa Okunnu on Friday but
the EFCC was only able to arraign only three marketers.
The three marketers arraigned before
Justice Okunnu were made up of a company, ASB Investment Limited, and
two persons, Aro Samuel Bamidele and Abiodun Kayode Bankole.
The three defendants and others yet to
face trial were arraigned on an 18-count charge bordering on uttering,
obtaining and falsifying documents to the tune of N2,326,927,210.07.
The three defendants who took their
pleas before Justice Okunnu pleaded not guilty and the court fixed bail
hearing for October 9, 2012 with an order that the defendants be
remanded in EFCC custody.
Among the five persons and companies
that were absent in court on Friday were Abdulahi Alao, the son of Aare
Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Arisekola Alao.
Abdullahi Alao and his company, Axenergy
Nigeria Limited, will be appearing for the third time for offences
bordering on fuel subsidy fraud since the fuel subsidy trials commenced.
In the current charge, Abdullahi was
again alleged to have obtained under false pretence as well as forged
bills of laden and other relevant importation documents to perpetrate
fraud.
Trial in the matter involving Abdullahi Alao and four others will commence on November 22, 2012 before Justice Okunnu.
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