The long drawn trail of Mamman Ali, the son of Ahmadu Ali, a former National chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and associate, A Christian Taylor over a N2.2 billion oil subsidy fraud ended on Tuesday with the sentencing of both men to 14- year jail term each
They were jailed by an Ikeja Special Offences Court after they were convicted on an amended 57-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretences, forgery, and the use of false documents filed against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
on Tuesday
Ali, Taylor were charged alongside Nasaman Oil Services Ltd
They were initially standing trial before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo (rtd) of the Ikeja High Court prior to his retirement.
The EFCC submitted that the convicts committed the offences sometime in 2011.
The commission stated that the duo fraudulently obtained the sum of N1.9 billion from the Federal Government, claiming the sum represented subsidy accruing to Nasaman Oil Services Ltd under the Petroleum Support Fund.
The EFCC said the defendants claimed the sum was for the importation of 20,492,982.50 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
The anti-graft agency stated that the defendants also claimed that the PMS, which Nasaman Oil Services Ltd purported to have purchased from SEATAC Petroleum Ltd of the British Virgin Islands, was imported into Nigeria. Nigeria: Nigerian fashion
The commission said the representation the defendants made was false.
The EFCC also affirmed that the convicts presented forged documents, including a falsified “Gasoline Analysis.”
During the trial, the EFCC counsel, Mr Seiduh Atteh, presented nine witnesses through whom several compelling documents were admitted into evidence against the convicts.
The convicts testified as witnesses for the defence.
However while delivering the judgment on Tuesday, Justice Mojisola Dada held that the EFCC had successfully proved its case.
Dada held that the evidence presented by the prosecution was compelling and proved the charge against the convicts.
According to her, the actions of the convicts not only defrauded the government of Nigeria, but also undermined the integrity of the country’s oil subsidy programme. Nigeria: Nigerian fashion
The judge thereafter convicted the duo and consequently sentenced them to 14 years’ imprisonment each on all the counts.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of identified assets and accounts linked to the fraud.
Dada also issued a warrant for the arrest of both Oluwaseun Ogunbambo and Olabisi Abdulafeez, two other suspects still at large.
credit- pm news
