EFCC commences trial of Ahmadu Ali’s son, Mamman, 3 others

By ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH ONOZURE DANIA

LAGOS — ECONOMIC and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday, formally began trial of Mamman Nasir Ali, son of Ahmadu Ali, a former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chairman and three others, with the prosecution witness, Victor Sanusi, denying knowing the three defendants in the case.

Sanusi who was led in evidence by the EFCC counsel, Francis Usani told the court that he only knew the companies arraigned with the officials of the oil companies.

Nasaman Oil and Gas, Ali Christian Taylor and Seun Ogunbambo are standing trial for allegedly obtaining N4, 460, 130, 797. 94  from the Federal Government of Nigeria under false pretences.

The sum, according to the prosecution was alleged to have been fraudulently obtained as subsidy payments from the Petroleum Support Fund, PSF, for the purported importation of 30.5million litres of Premium Motor Spirit from SEATAC Petroleum Limited of British Virgin Islands.

*EFCC Operatives

In his evidence, he said that it was true that Nasaman Oil and Gas applied for allocation of oil and was given six allocations of petrol import while it only supply four allocations.

According to him, when his agency granted permission for a marketer to import fuel, such importer was  also expected to get another one from the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR.

He said the marketer would then be required to obtain a letter of credit from a bank or provide Bill for Collection, a document stating the willingness of the marketer to sell the product.

However, he noted that the Bill for Collection was no longer accepted because of the issue of transparency on the part of marketers in recent times.

Further hearing was adjourned till February 13.