EFCC says Ali's son, others forged subsidy documents

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday further accused Mamman Ali, son of former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Col. Ahmadu Ali (retd.), and others of forging documents to receive N4.4bn subsidy payments.

A prosecution witness, Mr. Chidi Onyedikwe, told the Lagos High Court in Ikeja that the defendants had presented the documents to the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency to obtain the subsidy payment.

Onyedikwe, who is the Manager,  Lagos branch of the Inspectorate Marine Services Nigeria Ltd., had earlier on February 21, testified that the defendants used fraudulent documents to obtain the payment.

The witness, who had  earlier been led in evidence by EFCC counsel, Mr. Francis Usani, insisted under cross-examination by the accused persons' lawyers that the documents, which were bearing his organisation's logo, did not emanate from his office.

Among the said forged documents are cargo transfer, certificate of quantity, certificate of quality and haulage were bearing the logos, signatures and stamps of his company.

The EFCC is prosecuting Ali alongside Christian Taylor, and Oluwaseun Ogunbambo, Nassaman Oil Services for allegedly collecting N4.4bn as susbidy payments.

Ogunbambo, on his part, is facing other subsidy and bank fraud charges, the basis for which he had remained in Ikoyi Prison after he had been denied bail.

Onyedikwe on Wednesday maintained his earlier allegation of forgery levelled against the defendants.

Under cross-examination by counsel to the defendants, Messrs Kolade Obafemi and Adebayo Adenipekun (SAN), the witness insisted his company never issued the documents as claimed by the accused persons.

The witness said, 'Like I said before, we went through our operational records, our laboratory records and account records.

'After these checks, we replied the EFCC that we did not partake in those transactions.

'Those documents did not emanate from our company even though it was bearing our logos,stamps and signatures.'

He distanced his organisation from the haulage report tendered by the accused showing  that they had imported the petroleum products.

He said his company never assigned any of his inspectors to carry out the said transaction as portrayed in the haulage report.

The trial judge, Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo, adjourned the matter till May 28 for continuation of trial