Subsidy Scam: Zenon Oil Got $233m

SAN FRANCISCO, April 12, (THEWILL) – Emenalo Boniface, prosecuting witness 1, in the trial against Farouk Lawan, former Chairman, House Committee on Subsidy Claims, has declared that Zenon Oil and Gas Limited, owned by Femi Otedola, got $232,975,385.13 from the Federal Government over subsidy claims, without making the petroleum products available.

In his testimony before a FCT High Court, sitting before Justice Angela Otaluka, on Tuesday, Emenalo, who was secretary of the committee, affirmed that, part of the main objectives of the committee was to determine the existence of any cabal associated with the importation of petroleum products.

During cross-examination by counsel to the defendant Mike Ozekhome, Emenalo affirmed that from the findings of the committee, it was not every company that came before it, that was involved in the scam.

One of these infractions discovered was that some companies/marketers obtained foreign exchange for the importation of petroleum products but failed to use them for the purpose as investigation showed that the foreign exchange AP (Forte Oil) got was used by Zenon Oil.

“While the investigation was on, MD Zenon Oil called me to tell me his chairman wanted to see me. Otedola called me and invited me to his house, this meeting I also relayed to my chairman (Lawan),” Emenalo recalled.

The witness also said that it was at his second meeting with Otedola in his house on April 22, 2015, that he was given $100,000, which was meant to be an exhibit to prove that the members of the committee were bribed and pressurised to arrive at its final report.

Justice Otaluka adjourned the matter to April 13, 2016 for continuation of trial.

Story by David Oputah