Justice Lateefa Okunnu of a Lagos High Court, Ikeja has been told by an oil marketer,Ms. Adaoha Ugo-Ndagi that the N1.9 billion subsidy fraud charge preferred against her and three others were false.

Ugo-Ndagi, Managing Director of Ontario Oil and Gas Limited, told court in her testimony that the allegation was an attempt to settle old scores between Ontario and two others in the industry.

She urged the court to discharge and acquit her, Ontario and Mr Walter Wagbatsoma, the Executive Director of the firm, of the nine-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining property by false pretences, forgery and uttering.

In her evidence led by defence counsel, Mr Edoka Onyeke she told court that she had never met the third defendant, Mr Fakuade Babafemi, a staff of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Authority (PPPRA), until they were brought for arraignment in court.
“I have never seen him in my life before. The first time I met him was when we were brought before the court. So, how can somebody now claim that we conspired with him to forge documents to fraudulently obtain subsidy from the government?”

The witness insisted that the company imported 19 million and 15 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit in the third quarter of 2010 and the transaction followed the stipulated guidelines of the PPPRA.

She further told court that it was strange that the EFCC relied on Shore Tank Certificates signed only by both tank farms and their surveyors to institute a criminal charge against the defendants that they imported 12 and 10 million litres respectively.

Earlier under cross examination by EFCC counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) the witness maintained that on several occasions, players in the industry do have variations in figures, which most times resolved.
Justice Okunnu subsequently adjourned till February 8, 2016 for continuation of cross examinations‎.