High Court Sitting In Abuja Sentences Two Directors Of Origin Oil And Gas Limited For Defrauding FG To The Tune Of Over N735m In Subsidy Scam

A prosecution witness, Chidi Nweke told an FCT High Court, sitting in Apo, Abuja how Adegbite Adetoye and Ponle Abiodun, two directors of Origin Oil and Gas Limited, lied and defrauded the Federal government to the tune of over N735 million in subsidy scam.

At the resumed hearing of the case today, Tuesday, April 16, 2019 before Justice Silvanus Oriji, an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Steve Odiase, said the accused lied over the quantity of petrol (Premium Motor Spirit, PMS) they supplied to the Federal Government in 2011.

The witness produced in court, a letter that flowed from investigative activities of the EFCC to Quantity Marine Services Nigeria Limited to authenticate the short tank quantity certificate, which indicated that 19 million litres was purportedly supplied as against 6,784,921 litres, which investigations revealed was actually supplied.

Under cross-examination by the defense counsel, Israel Olorundare (SAN), Mr Nweke maintained that the defendants and the company involved did not supply the quantity of PMS they claimed they supplied. The document from the defendants claimed that about 19 million litres of PMS was transhipped from MT Champion Express to MT Silverie at Offshore Cotonou, while investigations revealed that the actual quantity discharged was 6,784,921 litres of PMS, the witness said.

Mr Olorundare (SAN) tendered documents from Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), titled Checklist which was admitted by the court in evidence. Justice Oriji adjourned the matter to the 6th and 7th May 6 and 7, 2019, for further hearing.