The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa has testified to an investigation revealing that the embattled Nadabo Energy boss Abubakar Alli Peters and his company had forged all the documents used to receive the sum of N1.4bn subsidy.
Led in evidence by the Commission’s counsel, Mr Saidu Ateh with Rotimi Oyedepo and other train of counsels on Wednesday, Bawa narrated to Justice Sebotan Ogunsanya how the defendant forged all the documents leading to the subsidy payment of N762m by inflating the quantity of the petroleum products he imported.
Bawa further told the court that the bank which finances the importion explained that the LPO of the Petroleum product financed by them is N666m against N1.4bn claimed by the defendant.
EFCC further stated that vessel MT…….. 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.
In furtherance to his evidence, the EFCC boss said that the investigation revealed how all the correspondences that led to the receipt of N1.4bn by the defendants were all forged.
He had earlier told the court that 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 importation of 8 million litres but inflated it to 12 million litres and received the excess of N762 million instead of N666 million.
He said in furtherance to investigation in respect of defendant to the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, and Starco Insurance PLC to authenticate the product’s marine insurance but they all responded that the documents used by the defendant to received the excess N762m 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 N683m as against N1.4bn he received from the Federal Government for subsidy of N762m which he never imported”.
Bawa also tendered the two statements of the defendant offered to EFCC during investigation in 2015.
But counsel to the defendant 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 therefore urged the court to order for 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.
On the verge of cross-examining the EFCC boss who is a second prosecution witness and the investigating officer of the case defence counsel sought for an adjournment.
Justice Ogunsanya later adjourned further trial to 1st and 2nd of November, 2021 for defence to cross-examine Bawa.
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