The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday re-arraigned two oil marketers, Oluwaseun Ogunbambo and Habila Theck, on an amended charge of N976.6 million fuel subsidy theft.<\/p>\n
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the marketers were re-arraigned alongside their company, Fargo Petroleum and Gas Ltd., before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo of a Lagos High Court in Ikeja.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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).<\/p>\n
He said that the PMS was purportedly purchased from one Seatac Petroleum Ltd., and imported into Nigeria through MT Diplomat Ex MT Milleura.<\/p>\n
Usani further alleged that the defendants had on Oct. 14, in Lagos, forged a document entitled Certificate of Origin, Port of Loading Antwerp, Belgium, which was used to facilitate the fraud.<\/p>\n
Usani added that the defendants falsely claimed that the document was issued by Seatac Petroleum Ltd.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Usani also said that the offences contravened Sections 363 and 364 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.<\/p>\n
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.<\/p>\n
The judge ordered that the defendants should continue to enjoy the N20 million bail granted them by the court after their initial arraignment for the same offences on July 30.<\/p>\n
The matter was adjourned till Dec. 5 for trial. (NAN)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) 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…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7010,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7003","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n