A’Court Upholds Conviction of Oil
A’Court Upholds Conviction of Oil Markers to 8 Years
imprisonment over N789m Subsidy case
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on
Thursday October 25 posted remarkable legal victory as the Lagos
Division of the Court of Appeal upheld the judgment of the Lagos
State High Court which on January 26, 2018, convicted and sentenced
two oil marketers, Emmanuel Morah and George Ogbonna, owners of
Rocky Energy Limited, to eight years imprisonment. They were
convicted by Justice Lateefa Okunnu on a 26-count amended
charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence and
forgery to the tune of N789.6million.
The judge also ordered the convicts to return the
money which they fraudulently collected as subsidy to the Nigerian
Government.
However, dissatisfied with the judgment the defendants
approached the Court of Appeal to set aside the ruling of the
lower court. Ruling on the appeal on Thursday October 25, Justice
J. Shagbaore Ikyegh who led a panel of three justices, upheld the
judgment of the Lagos State High Court and further ordered Rocky
Energy Limited to remit the sum of N789,648,329.25 to the Nigerian
government.
The convicts purportedly imported 10, 862 metric
tonnes of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, for which they were paid the
sum of money by the Petroleum Support Fund, PSF.
However, investigation revealed that the documents
used by the defendants were forged.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media and Publicity