Justice Sedoten Ogunsanya of an Ikeja High Court has ordered the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Pure Pack Oil Nigeria Limited, Mr Epebinu Omoniyi in Kirikiri prison for allegedly forging Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) documents for sale of crude oil and defrauding a business partner of N3million.
His co-defendant, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of First Hallmark Energy Limited Pure Pack Oil Nigeria Limited, Mr Adekanbi Adedayo was lucky as he was granted bail in the sum of N1million with two sureties in like sum for the same offense.
The economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned the defendants on an eight-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretences and forgery.
The defendants denied the charges
The prosecution led by Mr M.S Owede alleged that company directors committed the offences in 2014 in Lagos alongside Titus Adegoke and Demola Omisore who are both at large.
According to him, the defendants on October 22, 2014, forged a document titled “Letter of Authority To Sell Bonny Light Crude Oil and To Represent the NNPC/Shell JV Operators Bonny Terminal” which was purportedly issued in favour of Pure Pack Oil Nigeria Limited dated October. 22, 2014 and issued by the NNPC.
The charge stated further that the defendants on October 28, 2014, also forged a document titled “Re-confirmation of Allocation in Favour of Pure Pack Oil Nigeria Limited” which was dated on October 28, 2014, purporting it to have been issued by the NNPC
“On December 15, 2014, a document purported to be from the NNPC titled ‘Authority to Sell Cargo on Board MT Gloric’ alleged to be issued in favour of Pure Pack Oil Nigeria Ltd and Dafar Oil and Gas was forged by the defendants.
Owede explained that the defendants allegedly defrauded Mr Ayo Falati their business partner through the presentation of the NNPC false documents for the sale of crude oil and fraudulently obtained N3million from him under false pretences on December 8, 2014.
“They showed him the forged documents and falsely told him that they had secured a contract from the NNPC to supply crude oil from Nigeria to the United States of America.
“The defendants told Falati that the N3million they received from him, represents 1 percent contract performance bond payment.”
After the pleas of the defendants were taken, Owede requested that they should be remanded in prison.
However, counsel to Omoniyi, Mr N.D Momoh requested for more time to file a bail application while Mr J. Opara, counsel to Adedayo urged the court to grant his client bail in the interest of justice.
Justice Sedotan Ogunsanya granted Adedayo N1million bail with two sureties in like sum.
The judge, however, remanded Omoniyi in the Kirikiri Prisons and adjourned the case to December 13 for trial.
THE NATION
