Admin l Thursday, September 23, 2021
IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Wednesday revealed how the Managing Director of Nadabo Energy Ltd, Alhaji Abubakar Alli Peters forged company documents with which he cornered N1.4 billion in oil subsidy from the Nigerian government.
Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa who was led in evidence by the Commission’s counsel Mr Saidu Ateh with Rotimi Oyedepo among others told Justice Sedotan Ogunsanya how the defendant forged all the documents leading to the subsidy payment of N762 million by inflating the quantity of the Petroleum products he imported.
According to him, the bank which financed the importation explained that the LPO of the Petroleum product financed by them is N666 million against N1.4 billion claimed by the defendant.
He told the court that the vessel that imported the cargo also said that they only brought in 8 million litres against the claim of the defendant that the vessel shipped in 12 million litres.
Bawa added that investigations revealed how all the correspondences that led to the receipt of N1.4 billion by the defendants were all forged.
He said a complaint was received from the then minister for Petroleum Resources Mrs Diezani Allison Madueke on how the defendant received the sum of N1.4bn for the importion of 8 million litres but inflated it to 12 million litres and received the excess of 762 million naira instead of 666 million naira.
He said that checks at the Corporate Affairs Commission and Starco insurance PLC to authenticate the product marine insurance showed that the documents used by the defendant to receive the excess N762 million naira subsidy were forged.
“We equally wrote letter to PPPRA to confirm what the defendant is entitled to but the agency responded that the defendant only entitled to N683 million as against N1.4 billion he received from the Federal Government for subsidy of N762 million which he never imported.
Bawa also tendered the two statements of the defendant offered to EFCC during investigation in 2015.
Counsel to the defendant, Mr. Osagie Isiramen objected to the admissibility of the statement on the ground that it was not obtained in the presence of his lawyer and that he was not given water to drink. He urged the court to ordered for trial within trial to test the voluntariness of the statement.
But the trial judge in her short ruling dismissed the objection and admitted the statement in evidence and marked exhibit P26 and P27 respectively. Justice Ogunsanya later adjourned further trial to 1st and 2nd of November, 2021 for defence to cross examine Bawa.
