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FG Tells Indicted Oil Marketers to Face Trial as Police Tender Hard Evidence

By on November 2, 2012

The Federal Government has urged indicted Oil Marketers to Face trial rather than resort to propaganda.

In the face of the propaganda, the Police Special Anti-Fraud Unit is said to have confronted the suspects with hard evidence.

It was learnt that the persecutors have been assembled by the police for watertight cases against the marketers who were said to have become jittery and now resorting to a media campaign to launder them.

According to a member of the police team, “The documents they presented in their claims are there for everyone to see and we are fully prepared to face them in the law courts.”

“The claims upon which huge subsidy payments were made to them have been punctured because some of mother vessels they claimed they used in importing fuel were not anywhere near the Nigeria waters on the days they were claimed to have brought in fuel,” he added.

A member of the team said, “They were brazen because they never imagined that anyone would ever audit the subsidy regime. Those claiming to be innocent should come to the court and prove it.”

Reacting to the propaganda issue a police officer in SFU said it was astonishing to read the propaganda of some of the affected oil marketers who were speechless when confronted with the findings of the SFU on their alleged participation in the fuel subsidy fraud.

Based on findings from a senior government official, the presidency was shocked following attempts to rubbish the report of the Aig-Imoukhuede Committee and investigations by the EFCC and the SFU of the Nigeria Police.

According to the Government official, “The probe of fuel subsidy scam was diligently conducted and we are confident that most of those affected have cases to answer.”

“Instead of resorting to propaganda, those indicted should go to court to clear their names.”

“We will not waiver in our commitment to ensure justice and recover looted public funds. The battle line is drawn. We will not bow to blackmail at all.”

“They had every opportunity to present their so-called fact-sheets to the EFCC, SFU, and Presidential Committee.”

A source who was involved in the investigation of the scandal, said, “When some of these suspects were confronted with the findings of the police on the fuel subsidy scam, they were dumbfounded. They were shocked that we uncovered their tracks.

“They were unable to defend the allegations levelled against them in the documents available to the police authorities.

“They manipulated shipment records through which the nation was ripped off billions of naira.

“When SFU investigators asked a notable oil baron among them questions about more than N9 billion traced to his firm, he did not provide any evidence to substantiate his innocence.

“The same man’s company collected subsidy payments without proof of existence of the mother vessel bill of lading and where the products were discharged.

“When it became clear that the evidence was too much, the man just kept quiet.

“That man failed to defend the many allegations contained in the charge sheet. We are shocked he is now defending himself through sheer propaganda. We have done our part; it is left to the court to take a decision.”