EFCC closes prosecution of oil marketer charged over N963.7m fuel subsidy fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday closed the prosecution of its case against an oil marketer, Rowaye Jubril, accused of N963.7 million fuel subsidyfraud.
Mr. Jubril is standing trial alongside his company, Brila Energy Ltd., before Justice Lateefa Okunnu of an Ikeja High Court.
At the resumed hearing on Monday, the EFCC counsel, Seidu Atteh, informed the court that the prosecution was closing its case after calling 16 witnesseswho testified against the defendants.
He, therefore, asked the court to order Mr. Jubril to open his defence.
The judge adjourned the matter till October 6 for hearing of the no case submission filed by the defence.
The defendants were arraigned on November 13, 2012 on a 13-count charge of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretext, forgery and use of falsedocuments.
The EFCC alleged that the defendants had obtained N963.7 million from the Federal Governmentunder the Petroleum Support Fund between October 2010 and May 2012.
The anti-graft agency said the money was obtained for the purported importation of 13,500 metric tonnes of petrol.
According to the EFCC, their alleged offences contravened Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Actof 2006.
It said the offences also contravened sections 467 and 468 of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State 2003. (NAN)