How two businessmen duped Nigeria of N2.2bn – EFCC
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) has provided fresh evidence in the suit filed against Mamman Ali and Christian Taylor for obtaining N2.2bn oil subsidy payment from the federal government without supplying the product.
Tolulola Tola-Ukabam, an EFCC witness, presented the finding, obtained through a subscription-based maritime tracker, identified as Lloyd’s List of Intelligence.
According to the witness testimony, the tracking platform showed the defendants’ claim of importing petrol into the country at different times, and for which they were paid subsidy, were false.
Contrary to the defendants claim that, in 2011, the imported fuel was loaded aboard a vessel, MT Overseas, in Belgium, Tolulola said the ship was indeed in Chile at the time.
“I discovered that the mother vessel was at Chile on that 9th September 2011; and on the 1st of October 2011, the vessel was at China, not offshore Lome,” she said.
At another time in the same 2011, the defendants claimed to have loaded a similar vessel with petrol in Belgium, whereas the vessel was actually around Dover in the UK at the time.
Further in witness’ testimony, the defendants’ claim of loading petrol on another vessel, MT Hellenic Blue, which changed its name to MT Nireus on 26th January 2010, 2as false.
The witness averred in her testimony that the said vessel “was long broken up and dead” at the time the defendant claimed to have hired it.
The trial judge, Justice Mojisola Dada, admitted the fresh evidence, as there was no opposition from the defence counsel.
After listening to all the submissions by the prosecution witness, Justice Dada adjourned the matter till December 15 and 20, 2023 for continuation of trial.
