27th November, 2012
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday re-arraigned Mamman Ali, son of a former People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman, Ahmadu Ali, on an amended charge of N4.4 billion fuel subsidy theft.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Maman was re-arraigned before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo of a Lagos high court sitting in Ikeja.
He was arraigned alongside a Sierra Leonean national, Christian Taylor; an oil marketer, Oluwaseun Ogunbambo, and Nassaman Oil Services Ltd.
The defendants are facing a 13-count charge of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretences, forgery, uttering and use of forged documents.
EFCC counsel, Mr Francis Usani, told the court that the charge was amended to include Ogunbambo as a co-defendant.
He alleged that the defendants had fraudulently obtained N4.4 billion from the Federal Government between January and April.
Usani said the defendants obtained the sum as subsidy payments from the Petroleum Support Fund for purported importation of 30.5 million litres of petrol (Premium Motor Spirit).
The defendants were also alleged to have forged a bill of lading and other documents which they used in facilitating the fraud.
Usani submitted that the offences contravened Sections 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act, 2006.
According to EFCC counsel, the defendants also breached Sections 467 and 468 of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State, 2003.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The judge ordered that Ali and Taylor should continue to enjoy the N20 million bail the court granted each of them on 26 July when they were arraigned initially. He adjourned the case till 28 November for ruling on Ogunbambo’s bail application filed by his counsel, Mr Adebayo Adenipekun.