Alleged N2.2bn Subsidy Fraud: EFCC re-arraigns son of ex-PDP chair
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has re-arraigned Mamman Ali, son of a former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ahmadu Ali, before an Ikeja Special Offences Court for alleged N2.2 billion oil subsidy fraud.
Ali was re-arraigned with Christian Taylor and the company Nasaman Oil Services Limited before Justice Mojisola Dada.
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The defendants were arraigned on an amended 49-count indictment bordering conspiracy to obtain money through false pretences, forgery, and use of false documents.
They pleaded not guilty to all charges, however.
In response to the defendants’ not-guilty plea, the EFCC’s prosecuting attorney, Samuel Atteh, asked the court for a trial date so that the prosecution could call its witnesses and submit the necessary documents relating to the alleged fraud.
However, the defence attorney, Kolade Obafemi, pleaded with the court to allow the defendants to remain free on bail.
Responding, Atteh stated that it was crucial for the defendants to appear in court for trial.
However, the defence counsel was unable to immediately present the bail applications of the defendants to the court.
The trial judge, Justice Dada, therefore ordered that the defendants be remanded to the custody of the EFCC pending the presentation of the bail papers and a formal application for their release.
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The judge adjourned the case until May 30 in order to begin the trial.
The defendants were arraigned before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo at first.
However, Justice Onigbanjo withdrew from the case and retired, resulting in the case being reassigned to Justice Dada.
In one count, the EFCC alleged that the defendants, with the intent to defraud, conspired to obtain N750 million from the Federal Government by falsely representing subsidy accruing to Nasaman Oil Services Ltd. under the Petroleum Support Fund for importation of 10,031,986 litres of Premium Motor Spirit purportedly purchased from SEATAC Petroleum Ltd. of British Virgin Islands and imported into Nigeria through MT Liquid Fortune.
According to the commission, the defendants were aware that the representation was false.
According to the commission, the defendants committed the crimes on November 9, 2011, in Ikeja with Oluwaseun Ogunbambo and Olabisi Abdul-Afeez, both of whom remain at large.
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