From Matthew Irinoye, Lagos
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has linked the probes and subsequent prosecution of some marketers over the fuel subsidy regime to petitions by human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), Civil society groups and the Minister of Petroleum Resources.
A prosecution witness, Hammed Lawal, disclosed this while giving his testimony at the on-going trial of two oil marketers and their company before Justice Lateefat Okunnu of a Ikeja High Court, Lagos over alleged fuel subsidy infractions.
Lawal who was cross examined by the defence counsel, Anthony Idigbe (SAN), on his previous testimony against the defendants, Samuel Bamidele, Abiodun Kayode Bankole and their company, A.S.B. Investment Company Limited, said the defendants were not specifically mentioned in the said petitions.
The EFCC's operative who was one of those detailed to investigate the infractions said since the petition was not specific, the Commission decided to investigate the entire subsidy regime following public's outcry.
He however said his investigations showed that defendants fraudulently obtained payments from the petroleum support fund as subsidy for the importation of petroleum motor spirit (petrol) to the tune of N1,341,471,735.67.
The witness added that, analysis on the claims by the oil marketers showed that though about 13,415 metric tonnes of fuel discharged by the marketers at Fatgbems depot, the product did not emanate from Sweden as quoted in the bill of lading by the marketers.
Lawal, said that what was paid for as evidenced from the letter of credit to the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) was not imported because of the discrepancies on the documents.
The witness' contention was that the suspects did not supply the said products form the vessel Pacific Innovator as claimed because the vessel did not load on the dates quoted on bill of lading.
Lawal however told the court that he did not investigate the movement of the vessel neither did he received any report from the captain of the mother vessel.
On the issue of product discharged Idigbe asked whether the claims by the marketers captured the volume of product discharged at Fatgbems depot, Lawal answered in affirmative but stated that the vessel conveying the petroleum product left Sweden on February 20, 2011 contrary to claims by the defendants that vessel left Sweden on February 13, 2011.
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