BY KUNLE KALEJAYE

Integrated Oil and Gas Limited has refuted allegations levelled against its top management for allegedly offering bribes to members of the Aigboje Aig-Imokhuede-led, Presidential Committee on Fuel Subsidy Verification.

It was alleged that the Managing Director, Mr. Anthony Ihenacho; the Assistant General Manager Supply, Mr. Humphrey Okoh; and the Financial Controller of the company, Mr. Akinwusi Julius, had on August 30, 2012 at the company’s head office, 19C Marine Road, Apapa, Lagos offered N1.5million to members of the Presidential Committee, an offence punishable under Section 63 (1)(a)(b) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011.

Accordingly, the accused were arraigned before a Tapa Magistrate Court in Lagos for the said offence on October 3, 2012.

The company’s Chairman, Capt. Emmanuel Ihenacho, in a statement made available to Vanguard said the allegation is the latest in a long and endless list of lies and fabrication aimed at tarnishing the image of the company.

“There is absolutely no truth whatsoever in the allegation of bribe giving levied against our company or our company executives. We have not given any bribe to anyone in respect of a wish to subvert the work of the Subsidy Committee.

“There is no reason why we should give anyone a bribe for any reason, most certainly not to the members of the Presidential Task Force on Subsides, as Integrated Oil and Gas had cooperated fully with the investigation of all the investigative committees set up in respect of the fuel subsidy probe and there is absolutely no cause or reason why the company would wish to ‘influence’ the work of the various subsidy probe committees which have been set up. There is no reason to offer a bribe to anyone.

“For the records, it bears repeating that Integrated Oil and Gas has cooperated very fully with the work of all the probe committees so far including the Ministerial and Presidential Committees on Fuel Subsidies, both headed by Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imokhuede.