The trial of Nasaman Oil Services Limited, its promoter, Mamman Nasir Ali, who is the son of former PDP chairman, Ahmadu Ali, and Christian Taylor for alleged N2.2billion oil subsidy scam still continue at a Lagos State High Court.
The case is before the Special Offences Court in Ikeja.
Ali, others to open defence
This time the defendants are scheduled to open their defence in the case before Justice Mojisola Dada on May 22.
The trio were dragged to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
EFCC’s says investigation on Ali, others began in 2012
EFCC’s Prosecuting Counsel, Seidu Atteh closed its case on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, with the last prosecution witness, the Assistant Commandant of the EFCC (ACE1), who claimed he was part of the investigation until he was transferred to another location.
A Senior Detective Superintendent, Effa Okim, was the team leader of Team C, who had investigated the defendants, he said he submitted a report of his investigation into their allegations, adding that he did not investigate one Seun Ogunbambo (at large).
According to the prosecution witness, investigation into the charge against Nasaman Oil Services Limited, Mamman Nasir Ali, and Christian Taylor started in January 2012.
He said, “But I wasn’t there when it was closed because I was transferred by the commission.”
During cross-examination, Defence Counsel, Kolade Obafemi, told the court that the report he signed has an introductory part of the case, the investigation, recommendation and conclusion.”
He informed further that during the statement-taking, he obtained two Memoranda of Understanding involving Nasaman Oil Services Limited and Arnaga Oil.
Okim also said that his team investigated accounts and proceeds with Sterling Bank. He affirmed that the sole signatory of the account is one Olabisi Abdul-Afeez, who ran away.
Mamman Nasir Ali N2.2bn allegation
The Lagos Zonal Command of the EFCC, had, on Friday, March 24, 2023, re-arraigned the two defendants alongside Nasaman Oil Services Limited on an amended 49-count charge bordering on conspiracy to obtain money by false pretence contrary to Section 8 and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006, forgery contrary to Section 363 (3)(j) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011; and use of false documents contrary to Section 364 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.
One of the counts reads: “Nasaman Oil Services Limited, Mamman Nasir Ali, Christian Taylor, Oluwaseun Ogunbambo (now at large) and Olabisi Abdul-Afeez (still at large), on or about the 9th day of November 2011 at Lagos, within the Ikeja Judicial Division, with intent to defraud, conspired to obtain the sum of N749,991,273.36 (Seven Hundred and Forty-Nine Million, Nine Hundred and Ninety-One Thousand, Two Hundred and Seventy-Three Naira Thirty-six Kobo) from the Federal Government of Nigeria by falsely claiming that the sum of N749,991,273.36 represented subsidy accruing to Nasaman Oil Services Limited under the Petroleum Support Fund for the importation of 10,031,986 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), which Nasaman Oil Services Limited purported to have purchased from SEATAC Petroleum Limited of British Virgin Islands and imported into Nigeria through MT Liquid Fortune Limited of British Virgin Islands and imported into Nigeria through MT Liquid Fortune Limited Ex MT Overseas Lima, which representation you knew to be false.”
Another count reads: “Nasaman Oil Services Limited, Mamman Nasir Ali, Christian Taylor, Oluwaseun Ogunbambo (now at large) and Olabisi Abdul-Afeez (still at large), on or about the 11th day of April 2011 at Lagos, within the Ikeja Judicial Division, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N1,480,074,125.61 (One Billion Four Hundred and Eighty Million, Seventy-Four Thousand, One Hundred and Twenty-Five Naira Sixty-One Kobo) from the Federal Government of Nigeria by claiming that the sum represented subsidy accruing to Nasaman Oil Services Limited under the Petroleum Support Fund for the importation of 20,492,982.50 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), which Nasaman Oil Services Limited purported to have purchased from SEATAC Petroleum Limited of British Virgin Islands and imported into Nigeria through MT Liquid Fortune Ex Mt. Hellenic Blue and Ex MT. Milleura, which representation you knew to be false.”
The defendants denied all the charges preferred against them.
The defendants were initially standing trial before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo of Lagos State High Court, Ikeja.
However, Justice Onigbanjo withdrew from the case on health grounds and the case was re-assigned to Justice Dada.
