Oil subsidy fraud: Akintola Williams’ director, 19 others for trial
.N13, 403,504,083billion alleged
The Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission yesterday said a staff of the Petroleum Products
Pricing and Regulatory Agency(PPPRA), Fakuade Babafemi Ebenezer, a director
with Akintola Williams Deliote accounting firm, Ezekiel Olaleye Ejidele and
18 others for trial in connection with alleged fuel subsidy fraud of N13,
403,504,083billion.
The suspects will face
trial for purportedly importing about 237million litres of petroleum products
which the anti-graft commission could not trace.
According to a
statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren,
the affected suspects will face trial in Lagos courts.
The commission said the
20 suspects belong to the first batch of 140 individuals and organizations being
investigated over fuel subsidy scam.
A breakdown of the
suspects showed that seven companies and 13 individuals are involved.
The statement said:
“The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has concluded arrangements
to prosecute the first batch of 18 suspects implicated in the oil subsidy fraud.
The suspects, comprising six oil companies and 11 individuals, will be docked in
Lagos courts.
“The companies involved
are: Nasaman Oil Services; Eternal Oil and Gas Plc; Ontario Oil & Gas Plc;
Nadabo Energy Limited; Pacific Silver Line Limited, Axenergy Limited and Fago
Petroleum and Gas Limited.
“The 12 individuals
involved in the scam are: Mamman Nasir Ali; Christian Taylor; Mahmud Tukur;
Ochonogor Alex; Walter Wagbatsoma; Adaoha Ugo-Ngadi; Fakuade Babafemi Ebenezer;
Ezekiel Olaleye Ejidele; Abubakar Ali Peters; Jude Agube Abalaka, Abdulahi Alao
and Oluwaseun Ogunbanbo.
“Ezekiel Olaleye
Ejidele is director of the accounting firm, Akintola Williams Deliote while
Fakuade Babafemi Ebenezer is a staff of the Petroleum Products Pricing and
Regulating Agency, PPPRA.”
Out of the suspects,
the EFCC said Abdulahi Alao will face double trial, making the number of
suspects to be 20.
But Alao will however
be docked in another separate charge.
The statement gave the
details of findings against the suspects, especially how they purportedly
imported over 237million litres of petroleum products and benefited from fuel
subsidy.
“Nasaman Oil
Services; Mamman Nasir and Christian Taylor are to face charges bordering on
obtaining N4, 460, 130, 797. 94billion from the Federal Government of Nigeria
under false pretence.
“The sum is alleged to
have been fraudulently obtained as subsidy payments from the Petroleum Support
Fund for the purported importation of 30.5million litres of Premium Motor Spirit
from SEATAC Petroleum Limited of British Virgin Islands .
“In the same vein, the
anti-graft agency will equally prosecute Abdulahi Alao and Axenergy Limited for
allegedly obtaining the sum of N2, 640, 141, 707.75billion being payments
received from the Petroleum Support Fund for the purported importation of 33.3
million litres of Premium Motor Spirit.
“Others include
Mahmud Tukur, Ochonogor Alex; Abdulahi Alao and Eternal Oil And Gas Plc who will
be docked for fraudulently obtaining the sum of N1, 899, 238, 946. 02billion
from the Petroleum support Fund for a purported importation of 80.3million
litres of Premium Motor Spirit.
“Also, Nadabo Energy
Limited, Abubakar Ali Peters, Jude Agube Abalaka and Pacific Silver Line Limited
are to be prosecuted for allegedly obtaining the sum of N1, 464, 961,
978.24billion being payments fraudulently received from the Petroleum Support
Fund for a purported importation of 19.4million litres of Premium Motor
Spirit.
“Walter Wagbatsoma;
Adaoha Ugo -Ngadi; Fakuade Babafemi Ebenezer; Ezekiel Olaleye Ejidele and
Ontario Oil & Gas Nigeria Limited will be arraigned for fraudulently
obtaining the sum of N1, 959, 377, 542, .63billion from the Petroleum Support
Fund for a purported importation of 39.2 litres of Premium Motor
Spirit.
“Lastly, Fago Petroleum
and Gas Limited and Oluwaseun Ogunbanbo are to be docked for fraudulently
obtaining the sum of N979,653,110.20million from the Petroleum Support Fund for
a purported importation of 33, 627, 84 litres of Premium Motor
Spirit.”
The EFCC assured that
more suspects will be arraigned periodically.
The statement added:
“The 20 suspects are among the over 140 individuals and organisations involved
in the on- going investigations into the subsidy payments by the
EFCC.
“More suspects will be
arraigned periodically as the investigation progresses.
“This investigation is
massive and extensive; and the Commission wishes to reassure Nigerians that
every effort will be made to bring all those who defrauded the country in the
guise of subsidy for imported fuel to book. "
The House Ad Hoc
Committee on Fuel Subsidy had recommended that some oil marketers and top
officials of the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) should
be investigated and prosecuted by anti-graft agencies.
According to the
report, those to be probed by anti-graft agencies (now only EFCC) are 121 oil
marketers as follows:
· 17 marketers that
did not obtain FOREX but claimed to have imported petroleum products.
· 15 marketers who
obtained FOREX but did not import petroleum products.
· 71 oil marketers to
face probe and refund N230.1billion
· 18 oil marketers
committed other infractions.
President Goodluck
Jonathan had on May 21 referred the Fuel Subsidy Report to the EFCC for further
investigation and criminal trial of culpable ones.
The anti-graft agency
said it is probing 140 of such cases.
