FUEL SUBSIDY FRAUD: ABSENCE OF JUDGE STALLS JUDGEMENT.

The absence of Justice Ibrahim Buba on Tuesday stalled the trial of an oil marketer, Samuel Owa, and a cargo surveyor, Onassis Wajutom, over alleged N1.7 billion fuel subsidy fraud.

The trial could not continue at a Federal High Court in Lagos as Buba was said to be on an official assignment out of the state.

The trial will continue on 3 February.

Owa and Wajutom are standing trial along with their companies, Stone Bridge Oil Ltd. and Vibrant Ventures Ltd, respectively.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned the accused on 18 June on a four-count charge.

The accused have pleaded not guilty.

Each of the accused was granted N500 million bail with two sureties in like sum.

At the last sitting of the court over the case, the Prosecutor, Mr Dania Abdullahi, called two witnesses, each from the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulating Agency and the Department of Petroleum Resources.

Both witnesses testified that the accused fraudulently claimed to have imported about 144, 999 metric tonnes of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

According to the EFCC, the accused fraudulently obtained N1.7 billion from the Federal Government on the pretext of having imported the tonnes of PMS.

The commission said that Wajutom and Vibrant Ventures aided Owa and Stone Bridge Oil Ltd. to fraudulently obtain the sum, while acting as cargo surveyors.

It said that the offences could lead to up to 20 years imprisonment.