A prosecution witness, Mr Oliver Chineke, on Wednesday said that an oil marketer, Abdullahi Alao, forged documents to fraudulently obtain N1.1 billion fuel subsidy payment from the Federal Government.
Chineke, a former Lagos Branch Manager of the Q and Q Control Marine Services, Nig. Ltd., testified at the resumption of Alao’s fraud trial before an Ikeja High Court.
The accused , son of a prominent businessman, Alhaji Abdullazeez Arisekola-Alao, is being prosecuted alongside two other oil marketers.
The others are Opeyemi Ajuyah and Olarenwaju Olalusi.
Two companies – Majope Investment Ltd. and Axenergy Ltd. – owned by the accused, are also standing trial.
They are facing an eight-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money under false pretences, forgery, uttering and use of false documents.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleged that they imported about 4,000 metric tonnes of petroleum products but obtained subsidy payment for 15,000 metric tonnes.
Chineke said that the Oando Oil and Gas Plc contracted Q and Q Control Marine Services to inspect the quantity of products brought in by a vessel, MT Brave, on behalf of Majope Investment Ltd.
The witness said that he sent one of the company’s surveyors, Mohammed Adedapo, to inspect the cargo which was discharged at the Lister Jetty in Apapa, Lagos from Jan. 22 to Jan.23, 2011.
Chineke, who was led in evidence by EFCC Counsel, Mr Francis Usani, the vessel discharged about 4,000 metric tonnes at the jetty.
He testified that the EFCC asked the company in August 2012 to authenticate the documents tendered by the accused which showed that 15,000 metric tonnes was discharged.
He said:” When I looked at the Shore Tank Certificate in our file, it showed that about 4,000 metric tonnes was discharged.
“The copy forwarded to us by the EFCC was showing that 15,000 metric tonnes was discharged.
“It is not feasible to have two Shore Tank Certificates with different figures from the same inspectorate company.”
Chineke said that it was on this basis that he wrote a letter dated Aug. 22, 2012 to the EFCC confirming that the documents with 15,000 metric tonnes did not emanate from his company.
The letter was admitted by the court as Exhibit P8.
Under cross-examination by the defendants’ Counsel, Messrs Oludare Falana, O. Awonuga and D.A. Awosika, the witness admitted that there was no unique feature in the certificate.
He, however, said that the company thoroughly cross-checked the figures and quantity of the transaction before sending its report to Oando Oil and Gas Plc.
Meanwhile, the trial judge, Justice Lateefat Okunnu has granted Olalusi permission to travel to the United Kingdom for two weeks for business purposes.
She said that there was no evidence before the court showing that Olalusi would abscond if his application to travel was granted.
Okunnu, therefore, ordered the court’s chief registrar to release Olalusi’s international passport to enable him to travel.
The judge ordered Olalusi to return the international passport to the chief registrar immediately after his return.
He adjourned the case till Oct. 21 for continuation of trial.
