$4m fraud: Briton insists Obasanjo’s in-law forged document

A British Solicitor, Charlene Cross, on Wednesday affirmed
before the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja that John
Abebe, brother to a former First Lady, the late Stella Obasanjo,
forged parts of an oil contract.

Cross, who was the in-house lawyer and Assistant General Manager
Dispute Resolution Projects for BP Exploration in London,
maintained that parts of a Net Profit Interest Agreement were
forged.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had arraigned Abebe
for alleged forgery.

The EFCC, in the charges, claimed that Abebe “knowingly forged”
a November 30, 1995 letter written by BP Exploration Nigeria
Limited to Inducon (Nigeria) Ltd.

The anti-graft agency claimed that the businessman “illegally
inserted” into page 2 of the said letter “the following statement:
“Also note that the ‘Buy-Out Option’ only applies to the
pre-production stage of the NPIA. The $4m buy-out is thus
irrelevant from the production of oil in any of our fields.”

During cross-examination on Wednesday by a member of Abebe’s
defence team, Edoka Onyeke, Cross said she was in court to
represent the position of BP Exploration, London, adding that the
document referred to in court as Annexure II was forged.

She said, “I’m aware that the defendant was a Director of BP;
I’m not aware that Annexure II and Annexure III were signed in
London.

“It makes no sense how BP would put together that clause in
Annexure II; and during the EFCC investigations into the alleged
forgery, I was never requested by the anti-graft agency to obtain
statements from other staff of BP.”

Explaining the role played by Abebe in bringing BP Exploration
to Nigeria, Cross told the court, “I’m aware that prior to 1999, BP
was not allowed to conduct business in Nigeria; I’m aware the
defendant provided assistance for BP Exploration to conduct
business in Nigeria after they had left in 1976.

“The defendant helped provide two oil mining leases for BP and
their mining partners, Statoil, and I’m aware that production
subsequently occurred.

“The defendant was entitled to 1.5 per cent of the profits from
production during the time the NPIA was in force.”

Cross rejected the suggestion that BP and Statoil forged
Annexure II to avoid the financial obligations placed on them by
Nigerian courts in suits filed by Abebe against the companies.

Justice Mojisola Dada adjourned the case until November 19, 20,
22 and December 3 for the continuation of trial.