Fuel Subsidy Fraud: Drama As Ontario Oil MD, Ada Ugo-Ngali Slumps In Court After Conviction

There was plenty of drama on Friday as the Managing Director of Ontario Oil and Gas Limited, Mrs. Ada Ugo-Ngali, fainted at the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja after being convicted of N754m oil subsidy fraud by the court.

Ugo-Ngali, who was standing trial for N1.9bn subsidy scam, alongside three others defendants, slumped as the trial judge, Justice Lateefa Okunnu was about to pronounce the sentence.

The prosecuting counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), had asked the judge to impose the maximum seven-year jail term prescribed for the offence.

But before the judge could pronounce the sentence, Ugo-Ngali passed out.

Lawyers in court and her loved ones rushed to her aid. This forced Justice Okunnu to adjourn the case and reserved her pronouncement on the sentence till January 16.

Ugo-Nnali panted loudly after she regained and was later driven to the hospital in an ambulance.

Ontario Oil and Gas Limited; its Chairman, Mr. Walter Wagbatsoma; Ngo-Ngali; and an official of the Petroleum Products Price and Regulatory Agency, Mr. Babafemi Fakuade, had been arraigned by the EFCC on August 1, 2013.

The charges bothered on conspiracy, obtaining property by false pretences, forgery and uttering.

As earlier reported, Justice Okunnu found Wagbatsoma and Ngo-Ngali guilty, holding that they defrauded the Federal Government to the tune of N754m in oil subsidy transactions totalling N1.7bn.

The judge, however, discharged and acquitted Fakuade, holding the charge of forgery brought against him was not sustainable.

“The case against the third defendant is that he helped in forging the Shore Quality Certificate; what I see before me is that he only signed the document while acting in his capacity as an PPRA official.

“It is not right in criminal cases to infer guilt without concrete evidence, there is no proof that he was aware that the documents were false.

“The prosecution have not been able to prove the case of forgery against the third defendant,” Justice Okunnu held, freeing Fakuade.