The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, May 12, 2015 re-arraigned Mamman Ali, before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo of a Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja on an amended 49 counts of fuel subsidy fraud to the tune of N4.5bn.
He is the son of a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party and Director-General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation in the last general elections, Senator Ahmadu Ali.
Ali was arraigned alongside his two alleged accomplices – Christian Taylor and Nasaman Oil Services Limited, an oil-marketing firm.
The re-arraignment of Ali followed the ‘disappearance’ of one Oluwaseun Ogunbambo, with whom they were first arraigned on July 26, 2012. Ogunbambo had jumped bail as he fled the country after he was granted bail.
They are facing trial for allegedly obtaining N4.5bn as fuel subsidy claim from the Federal Government on a purported importation of 30.5 million liters of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) which they never did.
In 2012, the four accused persons were arraigned on a nine counts bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretenses, forgery and use of false documents.
At the resumed hearing, EFCC’s prosecutor, Seidu Atteh, informed the court of the amended charges and sought the permission of the court to take the plea of the three accused persons.
Justice Onigbanjo however granted the prayer. Upon reading the charges to them, all the accused persons pleaded not guilty to all the counts.
In the fresh charge, the EFCC alleged that the accused persons committed the subsidy fraud between January 2011 and April 2012; and by their alleged fraudulent act, violated Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2006.
The prosecutor also said that the offences also violated Sections 363(a) and 364 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.
The case has been adjourned to Tuesday, 30th June, 2015 for continuation of hearing.
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