Subsidy Fraud Trial: Court Admits Forged Documents As Exhibits in Seun Ogunbambo’s Matter

Segun Ogunbambo

By SaharaReporters, New York

Seun Ogunbambo, the fuel subsidy fraud suspect who is also alleged to have fraudulently obtained a huge  loan of N1.2billion from Stambic IBTC in 2009 using forged documents, today failed to persuade the court to reject the documents tendered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as evidence that he is a notorious document forger.
His lawyer, Gboyega Oyewole, argued that the certified true copies of documents presented by the EFCC must be the originals in order to be admissible in evidence but the plea was rejected by the court.
The trial Judge, Mr. Adeniyi Onigbanjo, admitted the documents after the prosecuting counsel for Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mr. Francis Usani, argued against the grounds upon which Mr. Oyewole had requested for the documents to be thrown out.
He insisted that the documents were certified true copies, and admissible under the Evidence Act.
EFCC witness, Ahmed Bawa, who is also the Investigating Officer in charge of the subsidy fraud allegation involving Mr. Ogunbambo, Habila Theck and their company, Fargo Petroleum and Gas Ltd., tendered the documents to substantiate his testimony against the suspects.
In a case that is full of gimmicks, Mr. Ogunbambo told the court today that he had come directly today from a clinic, making a sick face as he tried to win sympathy.  He also during the trial requested to be given 10 minutes to take a bath.  The court granted that request, stepping down for 20 minutes to allow him to freshen up.
Earlier, as he sought to win goodwill and earn the favour of the court, Mr. Ogunbambo offered to an installment arrangement by which to pay up the huge amount he owes IBTC.
But the monthly installments he offered were rejected as “peanuts” when compared to the sum he is alleged to have obtained fraudulently. The prosecution team pointed out that given the total amount, the convenient installments being offered would take almost forever to complete.  One of the lawyers at the EFCC said it would amount to obtaining huge loans by fraudulent means, depositing it with a bank and taking interests from the deposit to pay off the original sum over a long duration, enabling the suspect to have a great life on the back of his crime.
It would be recalled that at the last hearing on January 21, Ogunbambo’s lawyer, Adebayo Adenipekun, told the court that he had come on that day despite his poor health to inform the court that his client had begun to repay the loan.
At the conclusion of today’s hearing, Justice Onigbanjo adjourned the trials to 30th March and 10th June respectively.