£2.6bn Fraud: Federal Govt Seeks Dismissal Of Petro Union Directors' Application

Federal government has asked Justice Mohammed Liman of the Federal High Court to dismiss the no-case-submission filed by three directors of an oil firm, Petro Union Oil and Gas Limited and a consultant who are currently standing trial over an alleged £2.6 billion fraud.

The lawyer to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) made the plea while adopting his written address in opposition to the application by Petro Union and its Directors.

All the defendants in the case are contending through their lawyers that none of the 13 witnesses called by the prosecution established any case of fraud against them.

The EFCC is prosecuting the defendants before the court on a 13-count charge of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretences, attempt to steal and forgery.

The consultant is Abayomi Kukoyi (trading under the name and style of Gladstone Kukoyi & Associates), while the company’s directors on trial are Prince Kingsley Okpala, Prince Chidi Okpalaeze and Prince Emmanuel Okpalaeze.

They all pleaded not guilty to the charge.

In his opposition to the no-case-submission application, Jacobs maintained that the prosecution had, through its witnesses, established a prima facie case of fraud against the defendants.

The anti-graft agency’s lawyer argued that all investigations by Union Bank, Central Bank, Bankers’ Committee and the EFCC confirmed that the defendants were engaged in clearly fraudulent activities.

He stated, “We have proved the ingredients of those offences beyond any reasonable doubt and each of the defendants should be invited to present their defence to the Charge, if they have any.’’