by Punch
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday at a Lagos High Court, Ikeja, re-arraigned Mamman, son of former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ahmadu Ali, along with two others for N4.5bn subsidy fraud.
The re-arraignment before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo was prompted by some amendments to a former charge, involving three counts of N2.3bn subsidy fraud.
Mamman and Christian Taylor as well as their company, Nasaman Oil Services, had last July 26, pleaded not guilty to the former charge.
The amended charge, which increased the alleged fraud from N2.3bn to N4.5bn as well as increased number of counts from three to 13 has an additional accused person, Mr. Seun Ogunbambo.
The trio pleaded not guilty to the 13 counts of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretences and forgery.
Trial in the matter had been scheduled to commence on October 30, when EFCC, through its counsel, Mr. Francis Usani, indicated its intention to amend the charge.
Usani had told Onigbanjo that further investigation after Mamman and Taylor were arraigned, revealed that Ogunbambo, who faced a separate subsidy charge in the court, played key roles in the three transactions informing the fresh charge.
Usani alleged that the defendants had fraudulently obtained N4.5bn from the Federal Government between January and April 2012.
The money, he added, was for subsidy payments from the Petroleum Support Fund for the purported importation of 30.5million litres of Premium Motor Spirit.
The defendants were also alleged to have forged a bill of lading and other documents which they used in facilitating the fraud.
The alleged offences were said to contravene Sections 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2006.
The accused also allegedly violated Sections 467 and 468 of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State 2003.
Justice Onigbanjo, after the arraignment allowed Mamman and Taylor to continue to enjoy the bail which he had earlier granted them after their initial arraignment on July 26.
The duo would, consequently upon the judge’s order, continue to enjoy the N20m bail granted to each of them.
The judge, however, adjourned till November 28 for the hearing of Ogunbambo’s bail application filed through his counsel, Mr. Adebayo Adenipekun.
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