A destroyed refinery By Favour Ifeoluwa & Akinola Ajibade The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited( NNPCL) says it has destroyed 134 illegal refineries in the last few weeks. Also, the company said 63 illegal pipeline connections were uncovered during the the weeks . The corporation, In a visual report, stated that at about 2 am on Sunday, a joint team of security agents discovered a large wooden boat illicitly loading stolen crude oil from Barge AGS01 within the OML 18 operating area, noted intelligence report a large wooden wooden boat was caught receiving crude oil from the barge. According to the state-owned oil firm, while the barge was towed away with a tugboat in custody, five speedboats used in towing the large wooden boat to the illegal loading site were also detained and the particulars of the tugboats and barge used for the operation were reportedly seized for further investigation. It further said that two large boats, which involve
By Favour & Akinola Ajibade
Oil racketeers will henceforth face prosecution and subsequently sentenced to prison, in the event that the decision of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) stands by its decision to completely eradicate such activities in the country.
This happens as ICPC secured a seven year conviction for two fraudsters, Aso Adasa Morrison and Frank Biobarakuma recently.
The body in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Mrs. Azuka Ogugua and made available to the media, said the two suspects were first arraigned sometime in March 2013 before Hon. Justice B. A. Georgewill of Rivers State High Court 16 on a 17-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery and obtaining false pretence regarding transactions in crude oil in Nigeria
She said the court was informed of how the convicts and others at large between the month of March 2012 and February 2013 in Port Harcourt, fraudulently obtained the sum of $260,000 and $402,300 from one Mr. Jung Yongmin, a South Korean, under the pretext of selling Nigerian crude oil to him.
Their actions were contrary to Sections 1 and 8 of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2004 and Section 467 of the Criminal Code Act, 2004,she quoted in the statement.
She also disclosed that the convicts had earlier entered a “not guilty” plea when the charges were brought before them and that set the tune for a long legal battle.
She added:”However, it was only recently that the trial judge, Justice S. C. Amadi, Chief Judge of Rivers State (who inherited the case after the elevation of Justice Georgewill to the Court of Appeal) found the Convicts guilty on all 17 counts.
“In their allocutus to the court, defence counsel pleaded that the convicts were first-time offenders who have children to cater for and that the court should consider a non-custodial sentencing which was not granted.
“Handing down judgment, Justice Amadi sentenced the duo to 3 years in prison for counts 1-4, 7 years in prison for counts 5 & 6, 3 years in prison for count 7-17 without any option of fine.”
The sentences are to run concurrently.
The court further advised that the South Korean Embassy (the petitioners) be informed of the judgment which is a consequence of their petition to ICPC.
1697700cookie-checkCrude Oil Racketeering: ICPC Gets 7- Year Conviction Of Fraudsters
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