13th November, 2012
An Ikeja High Court has fixed November 26 for the re-arraignment of Mamman Ali, son of former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Senator Ahmadu Ali, and three others for alleged fuel subsidy fraud.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the defendants were scheduled to be re-arraigned before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo on Monday but the court could not sit as expected.
The son of the former PDP chairman was initially arraigned on July 26, alongside Christian Taylor and Nasaman Oil Services, for an alleged N2.2 billion fuel subsidy fraud.
He and his co-defendants had pleaded not guilty to the charge and were granted bail in the sum of N20 million each.
However, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had on October 30 informed the court of the prosecution’s intention to re-arraign the defendants on an amended charge.
EFCC counsel, Mr. Francis Usani, had said the amended charge would enable the anti-graft agency to join another oil marketer, Oluwaseun Ogunbambo, as a co-defendant in the matter.
Usani had claimed that Ogunbambo was involved in some of the transactions and that joining him in the trial would be in the interest of justice.
In the amended charge of 13 counts, the EFCC alleged that the defendants were involved in subsidy fraud amounting to about N4.4 billion.
The anti-graft agency alleged that the defendants had conspired to obtain the money from the Federal Government for the purported importation of 30.5 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
It said the alleged offences were perpetrated between 2010 and 2012.
The EFCC said their alleged offences contravened Sections 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2006.
According to the agency, they also contravened Sections 467 and 468 of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State 2003.