ABDULAHI Alao, oil marketer and son of a prominent businessman in Ibadan, Alhaji Abdullazeez Arisekola-Alao was prosecuted for an alleged N1.1 billion fuel subsidy fraud.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday filed an amended charge against him. It was reported that the amended charge was filed before Justice Lateefat Okunnu of a Lagos High Court in Ikeja.
He is being prosecuted alongside two other oil marketers, Opeyemi Ajuyah and Olarenwaju Olalusi, and their companies — Majope Investment Ltd., and Axenergy Ltd.
In the amended charge, the defendants are facing an eight-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretences, forgery, uttering and use of false documents.
The EFCC had earlier on Oct.10, 2012, arraigned the defendants on a six-count charge of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretences, forgery, uttering and use of false documents. They had all pleaded not guilty to the charge and were granted bail in the sum of N75 million with two sureties in like sum.
EFCC counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), had alleged that the defendants had on Feb.14, 2011, fraudulently obtained N1.1 billion from the Federal Government. Jacobs had alleged that the defendants obtained the money from the Petroleum Support Fund (PSF) for the purported importation of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from Europe to Nigeria.
Jacobs had further claimed that the accused forged a document titled “Shore Tank Certificate” dated Jan. 21, 2011 purporting the document to have been issued by an officer of Q and Q Control Services Ltd.
They were also alleged to have forged other documents including bills of lading to facilitate the fraud. He had said their alleged offences contravened Sections 1, (sub-sections 1,2,3) and 8 of the Advanced Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria. Jacobs had further stated that the alleged offences contradicted Sections 363 and 364 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011. The court is yet to fix a date for the defendants to be re-arraigned on the amended charge.