Two oil marketers, Yusuf Kwande and Osahon Asemota and five companies have been charged before Justice Mojisola Dada of an Ikeja Special Offences Court for alleged $8.4million fraud.
Charged with the two are five companies, namely Trafigura Beheer BV, Trafigura PTE Ltd, Mettle Energy and Gas Ltd, Renbrandt Ltd and Jil Engineering and Oil Services Ltd.
They are to be arraigned on a three-count charge of conspiracy to commit felony, stealing and receiving stolen property.
The prosecuting counsel, Mr. E.A. Jackson of the Special Fraud Unit (SFU), Nigeria Police Force alleged that the defendants committed the offences in 2008 in Lagos.
According to the charge sheet, the two defendants: Kwande and Asemota alongside Trafigura PTE Ltd, Mettle Energy and Gas Ltd and Renbrandt Ltd committed the offence of stealing between October 22 and December 15, 2008.
The SFU alleged that at the office of Trafigura Beheer BV located at 20A, Sinaro Daranijo Street, off Ligali Ayorinde Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, they fraudulently converted 6.4million metric tonnes of Automated Gas Oil (AGO).
The allegedly stolen AGO is worth $8.4million, belonging to Nadabo Energy Ltd.
The SFU also alleged that another company – Jil Engineering and Oil Services Ltd- fraudulently received the stolen AGO, which had been under the legal custody of Spring Bank, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The offences contravene sections 383(1), 427 and 516 of the Criminal Code 2004.
Justice Dada is, however, yet to fix a date to hear the case, which was assigned to her court during the annual vacation that ended on September 11.