NEWS, NIGERIA
This Day News
Baring any last minute adjournment or change of plans, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will today arraign seven more suspects accused of defrauding the Federal Government during the fuel subsidy regime in court in Lagos.
Five of the suspects implicated in a N5.4billion scam will be arraigned before Justice Lateefa Okunnu of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja on a 13-count charge bordering on intent to defraud, stealing, forgery and uttering of figures.
The arraignments of the suspects coming on the heels of the controversy over the commitment of the Federal Government and EFCC to persecute those involved in fuel subsidy scam.
The controversy was necessitated by the attitude of the diligent monitoring of the trial of those already arraigned because of interests arising from the weight of personalities involved like the son of former and serving National Chairmen of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, which is supposed to be the driving force behind the prosecution of the suspects is alleged to be foot-dragging.
According to a statement by the commission’s spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, the suspects comprising one company and four individuals are: Nasaman Oil Services Limited, Mamman Nasir Ali, Christian Taylor, Oluwaseun Ogunbambo and Olabisi Abdul-Afeez (still at large).
Specifically, they are alleged to have obtained the sum of N4,460,130,797.94 from the Federal Government by falsely claiming that the sum represented subsidy accruing to them under the petroleum support fund for the importation of 61,049,937.00 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
One of the charges reads: “That you, Nasaman Oil Services Ltd, Mamman Nasir Ali, Christian Taylor, Oluwaseun Ogunbambo and Olabisi Abdul-Afeez (still at large, between 2010 and 2012 in Lagos within the Ikeja judicial division with the intent to defraud, conspired to obtain the sum of N2.230,065,398.97 from the Federal Government of Nigeria by falsely claiming that the sum represented subsidy accruing to Nasaman Oil Services Ltd under the petroleum support fund for the importation of 30,524,968.50 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) which Nasaman Oils Services Ltd purported to have purchased from SEATAC Petroleum Ltd to British Virgin Islands and imported into Nigeria through MT Liquid Fortune Ex Mt Overseas Lima, which representation you know to be false.”
A second charge reads: “That you, Nasaman Oil Services Ltd, Mamman Nasir Ali, Christian Taylor, Oluwaseun Ogunbambo and Olabisi Abdul-Afeez (still at large, on or about April 11, 2012 in Lagos within the Ikeja judicial division with intent to defraud conspired to obtain the sum of N1,480,074,125.61 from the Federal Government of Nigeria by falsely claiming that the sum represented subsidy accruing to Nasaman Oil Services Ltd under the petroleum support fund for the importation of 20,492,982.50 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) which Nasaman Oils Services Ltd purported to have been purchased from SEATAC Petroleum Ltd to British Virgin Islands and imported into Nigeria through MT Liquid Fortune Ex Mt Hellenic Blue and Ex Mt. Milleura which representation you know to be false.”
The remaining two suspects, Rowaye Jubril and Brila Energy Limited, will also be arraigned before Justice Okunnu tomorrow on a 13-count charge of conspiracy, stealing, forgery and uttering of figures.
The duo are alleged to have obtained the sum of N963, 796, 199.85 from the Federal Government by falsely representing the sum as subsidy accruing to them for the importation of 13, 155,807MT or 17,393,767 litres of PMS.
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