The whistle blower who petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over petrol subsidy scam perpetrated by a Nigerian lady, Mrs Ngozi Ekeoma through her several companies, has released documents exposing how she took advantage of the Petrol Subsidy policy to collect subsidies running into N10 billion.
The documents are already with EFCC and sources within the anti graft commission revealed to Gavel Internationalthat investigations have commenced by a team of investigators.
But a statement signed by Nepal Oil and Gas Limited, one of the companies of Mrs Ekeoma denied the whistle blowerâs story, saying the whole story was the handiwork of an aggrieved staff who was sacked by the company for fraud.
But the whistle blower stated thus: âBetween November 28 and 30, 2011, Mrs. Ekeoma undertook a transaction under the CARNIVAL ENERGY OIL & GAS LIMITED, a company she used to collect 15,000metric tons of PMS allocation from the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency. The Mother/Delivering Vessel, MT Athiri chartered by the International Supplier, Mercuria N.V delivered 12,415.541Metric tons to the nominated vessel of CARNIVAL ENERGY OIL & GAS LIMITED, MT PRINCESS KAYLA with the attached Bill of Lading used to claim subsidy from the Federal Government of Nigeria. The transaction particulars include Form M No. MF 1242615, CB23220112230593, LC NO. SB/ILC11568C with Sterling Bank Plc;
Mrs. Ekeoma illegally sold back 9,992metric tons to Mercuria N.V through a trans-shipment from MT PRINCESS KAYLA to MT ATHIRI as per attached document. The illegal sale was carried out using CIELO TRADING INTERNATIONAL LIMITED c/o NEPAL OIL & GAS SERVICES LIMITED, Plot 2B Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, Ikoyi Lagos. Mrs. Ekeoma claimed subsidy for 12,407.975MT or 12,415.541MT depending on the physical position of the vessel in calculating volume [discrepancy in this case was 7.566MT which is 0.06% as indicated in Exhibit 2d Voyage Reconciliation] limit against actual 2,415.691MT on the receiving vessel MT PRINCESS KAYLA;
The proceeds of the illegal sale of 9,992.284MT went to CIELO TRADING INTERNATIONAL LIMITED c/o NEPAL OIL & GAS account with STANDARD CHARTERED BANK DUBAI. The movement of funds have been traced to the referenced account with the discovery of several proceeds of crime. This is the usual pattern of Mrs. Ngozi Ekeoma and Nepal Oil & Gas Services Limited in all transactions related the Petroleum Subsidy Fund schemeâ.
According to the whistle blower, 15,000 metric tons was then worth USD 15million. The product that was sold out was worth US 10million, while subsidy of over N900million was claimed from the Federal government.
However, Nepal Oil and Gas Limited in a statement sent to Gavel International denied the claimed. It a released titled âRE: WHISTLE BLOWER ALERT TO EFCCâ, it stated:
âOur attention has been drawn to a publication in page 5 of the Guardian Newspaper of Thursday, January 17, 2019 that a whistle blower alerted the EFCC to a N10bn subsidy Scam involving Nepal Oil & Gas Services Limited (NEPAL) and others. NEPAL dissociates itself from and denies the content of that speculative story in the publication;
Nepal wishes to state that this is not a case of whistle blowing but a pure case of malignant blackmail of a company by a former staff who is suspected to have stolen and diverted companyâs fund in excess of N200million and is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in FRN Vs Chukwuemeka Ekwunife and Structured Energy Limited,Charge Number LD/3154C/16 currently before Justice Sherifat Solebo at the Special Offences Court of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja Division.
The Defendant, Chukwuemeka Ekwunife had severally threatened to blackmail the company (NEPAL) and its Managing Director, unless the matter was withdrawn against him. He had resorted to several other acts of blackmails.
The company has remained resolute to allow the EFCC perform its statutory duties in the case, as a matter of policy. We are not surprised to see the publication credited to a whistle blower. It is common knowledge that all subsidy matters before and during the subsidy probe of 2012 have been fully investigated by the EFCC, Special Frauds Unit (SFU) and the AigbojeAig-Imoukhuede panel on fuel subsidy fraud.
The companies that the alleged whistle blower mentioned were all fully investigated by all the relevant anti-graft agencies, including the ones listed above.
Finally, it needs to be stressed that the publication is malicious, frivolous and at best speculative and we reserve our rights. We therefore advise the general public to discountenance the story and the erroneous publication.
SIGNED BY NEPAL OIL & GAS SERVICE LIMITEDâS MANAGEMENTâ
The whistle blower has vowed to release further documents on the scam.
