Mamman Ali, son of Ahmadu Ali, former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was among the three persons rearraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Tuesday for alleged complicity in a N4.5 billion fuel subsidy fraud.
The younger Ali was re-arraigned alongside another oil marketer, Christian Taylor and his company, Nasaman Oil Services Limited before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo of an Ikeja High Court, Lagos.
The defendants were previously arraigned on July 26, 2012 and their trial had commenced before their co-defendant, Oluwaseun Ogunbambo, absconded. This necessitated the EFCC to amend the charge against the defendants which led to their re-arraignment.
In the amended charge, the counts of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence, forgery and use of false documents were increased from nine to 49.
Seidu Atteh, EFCC counsel, said the defendants had fraudulently obtained N4.5 billion from the federal government between January 2011 and April 2012.
Atteh said the money was for subsidy payments from the Petroleum Support Fund for the purported importation of 30.5million litres of petrol.
The defendants were also alleged to have forged a bill of lading and other documents which they used in facilitating the fraud.
The alleged offences were said to contravene Sections 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2006.
The offences also violated Sections 363(a) and 364 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011. The defendants again pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Following the arraignment, the judge allowed Ali and Taylor to continue to enjoy the N20 million bail which he had earlier granted them after their initial arraignment on July 26.
Atteh told the court that the prosecution was ready to continue with the trial following its inability to apprehend Ogunbambo.
The matter was adjourned till June 30 for trial.
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