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(FROM LEFT):
EMMANUEL MORAH, IFEANYI ANOSIKE AND ADAMU ALIYU MAULA DURING THEIR ARRAIGNMENT
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The massive fraud was alleged to have
been perpetrated using various instrumentalities such as forging of Bills of
Lading, Certificate of Quantities and Certificate of Origin, among a posse of
criminal infractions to fraudulently obtain payments from the Petroleum Support
Fund as subsidy for the importation of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol). More Pix inside
The suspects, comprising eight
individuals and five companies, were arraigned before Justices Habeeb Abiru and
Lateefa Okunnu of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja. The individuals involved are Aro
Samuel Bamidele, Abiodun Kayode Bankole, Ifeanyi Anosike, Emeka Chukwu, Ngozi
Ekeoma Alhaji Adamu Aliyu Maula, George Ogbonna and Emmanuel Morah; while the
five companies involved are A.S.B. Investment Company Limited, Anosyke Group of
Companies Limited, Dell Energy Limited, Downstream Energy Sources Limited and
Rocky Energy Limited.
A.S.B. Investment Company Limited,
Aro Samuel Bamidele and Abiodun Kayode Bankole were arraigned before Justice
Lateefa Okunnu on an 18-count charge bordering on conspiracy to obtain by false
pretence, forgery and altering false documents to the tune of
N1,341,471,735.67, being payments fraudulently received from the Petroleum
Support Fund for a purported supply of 38, 010, 413.00 litres of Premium Motor
Spirit.
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| GEORGE OGBONNA. |
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| HON. SAMUEL ARO BAMIDELE. |
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| BANKOLE BIODUN |
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| EMEKA CHUKWU. |
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| NGOZI EKEOMA |
The accused persons allegedly received N1, 265, 204, 348.20 and N76, 267,387.47 purportedly as subsidy for the supply of 17, 989,540.00 and 20,021,873 litres respectively of PMS.
The products were falsely claimed to have been purchased from Nimex Petroleum Limited and Duport International Limited in Europe, and shipped into Nigeria through MT Pacific Innovator, MT Kirill Lavrov, MT Sea Voyager, MT Balisaire, MT Cape Bruny and MT Union Brave.
The accused persons pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
EFCC lead counsel, Rotimi Jacob (SAN), after the suspects had taken their plea, requested for a date for hearing of bail applications, and urged the court to remand the suspects in prison custody.
But defence counsel, Dr. Tochi Nwogu, prayed the court to remand the accused persons in EFCC custody and asked for a short adjournment for hearing of bail applications.
In her ruling, Justice Okunnu adjourned the case till 9th October 2012 for hearing of bail applications and fixed trial for 22nd, 27th and 28th November 2012. She also ordered that the suspects be remanded in EFCC custody.
Justice Habeeb Abiru similarly adjourned the case involving Anosyke Group of Companies, Ifeanyi Anosike, Dell Energy Limited, Emeka Chukwu and Ngozi Ekeoma to 9th October 2012 for hearing of bail applications, following their arraignment on an eight-count charge bordering on conspiracy to obtain by false pretence, forgery and altering false documents to the tune of N1, 537,278,880.82, being payments fraudulently received from the Petroleum Support Fund for a purported supply of 15, 000 metric tonnes of PMS.
They falsely claimed to have purchased the products from Mercuria Trading N.V. and imported into Nigeria through mother vessel MT Klara and MT Maritina, MT Emocean and Metric Tons SP Boston as the daughter vessels. They pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Lead Defence counsel, Dr. Joseph Nwobike (SAN) told the court that he had filed applications for bail for the suspects and urged the court to remand them in EFCC custody. All other members of the defence counsel aligned themselves with Nwobike.
Justice Abiru, in his ruling, ordered that the accused persons be remanded in EFCC custody.
Also, Downstream Energy Sources Limited, Alhaji Adamu Aliyu Maula, Rocky Energy Limited, George Ogbonna and Emmanuel Morah were arraigned before Justice Abiru on an eight-count charge bordering on conspiracy to obtain property by false pretence, conspiracy to forge documents, forgery, and altering 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 PMS.
The product was falsely claimed to have been purchased from ALCAMO International Limited and imported into Nigeria allegedly through mother vessel, MT La Katherine and the daughter vessel, MT D-Roseline.
Again, they pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Counsel to the fourth accused person, Kolawole Raheem, informed the court that he had already filed an application for bail for his client, and prayed for a short adjourned date for hearing of the bail application. He also prayed the court to remand his client in EFCC custody. Other defence counsels aligned their submissions with Raheem.
In his ruling, Justice Abiru adjourned the case till 9th October 2012 for hearing of bail applications and ordered that the suspects be remanded in EFCC custody.
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