The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is to investigate the health status of the Managing Director of Ontario Oil and Gas Ltd, Mrs Ada Ugo-Ngali, who slumped in the dock at an Ikeja High Court as judgement was about to be given in an oil subsidy fraud case.
Ugo-Ngadi had on January 13 slumped as a sentence was about to be passed after she was found guilty of N1.9bn oil subsidy fraud.
Okunnu had found the Chairman of Ontario Oil and Gas Ltd, Mr. Walter Wagbatsoma; Ugo-Ngadi and the company guilty of an eight–count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining property by false pretences, forgery and uttering brought against them by the EFCC.
During Wednesday’s proceedings, counsel to the EFCC, Mr. Oladipupo Iye, told the court that anti-graft agency intended to investigate the claims of Ugo-Ngadi’s “critical ill-health”.
He said, “We have been served with a medical report as well as affidavits sworn to by doctors in Havana Specialist Hospital and the Lagos University Teaching Hospital.
“We need to investigate the claims made in the medical reports as well as in the affidavits.”
Counsel to the defence, Mr. A.D. Onyeke, admitted that investigations by the anti-graft agency would be in the interest of all parties and gave assurance that the EFCC would be duly informed and carried along on the status of Ugo-Ngadi.
He said, “It will be in our best interest to carry the EFCC along, they should participate fully in their investigations to enable them to see things for themselves.
“The status of my client cannot be permanent, the doctors are trying their best to make it conducive and easy for her to attend proceedings and face all that is ahead of her.”
Onyeke pleaded with the court to grant Ugo-Ngali sufficient time to enable doctors attend to her health.
Justice Lateefa Okunnu, while adjourning the case, said:“The pending applications and sentencing proceeding stand adjourned to Jan. 26.”
The conviction is the first of its kind since the prosecution of oil subsidy fraud charges began in 2012.
Wagbatsoma had in recent months been absent in court as he was believed to have been apprehended by the Interpol during a trip to Germany on June 6, 2016.
He is currently being held in the United Kingdom on charges relating to a 12 million pounds National Health Insurance Scheme Trust Fund fraud.
PUNCH
