Arraignment of subsidy fraud suspects begins

A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja on Thursday arraigned one of the oil subsidy fraud suspects, Abdulai Alao, who is the son of Arisekola-Alao, an Ibadan politician.

Mr Alao was arraigned along with his company Axenergy by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 7 count of fraud.
The EFCC alleged that the suspect obtained the sum of two billion, six hundred and forty million naira (N2, 640, 000,000.00) being payments received from the Petroleum Support Fund for the purported importation of 33.3million litres of Premium Motor Spirit.

Counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs proceeded with the arraignment after apologising to the court for the absence of the attorney general and Minister of justice, Mohammed Adoke Bello who failed to show up again after citing “pressing state matters” requiring his attention.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Tukur son of Bamanga Tukur the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman, is still in court waiting his turn to be arraigned

When the matter came up before Justice Habeeb Abiru of Ikeja High Court yesterday, Mr Jacobs informed the court of the absence of the Attorney General of the Federation, who he said wanted to personally lead the prosecution team.

Counsel to one of the defendants, who was also absent told the court that his client has not been served with the court processes but only got wind of the case informally.

The judge however granted bail to the arraigned and adjourned till August 1 2012.