A prosecution witness at the Special Anti-Fraud Unit in Ikoyi, Lagos, Sunday Ubani, has told a Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja that Mobil PLC received only 3,444 metric tonnes of diesel from the allegedly stolen 10,000 metric tonnes of its contract with Nadabo Energy Limited.
Ubani disclosed this while giving evidence during cross-examination led by Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) in a suit marked ID/7980c/2018 before Justice Mojisola Dada.
The marketers, Yusuf Kwande, Osahon Asemota and five firms: Trafigura Behee BV, Trafigura PTE Limited, Mettle Energy and Gas, Rembrandt Limited and Jil Engineering and Oil Services Limited are facing trial for conspiracy, stealing and receiving stolen property.
Ubani told the court that investigation conducted by his team discovered that Nadabo Energy Limited entered into an agreement with Mobil PLC to supply 10,000 metric tonnes of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), otherwise called diesel.
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He said Nadabo Energy invited Mettle Energy to execute the contract on its behalf with money Nadabo raised from Spring Bank as consignee of the product from Trafigura.
He further told the court that the product did not meet specification, whereas the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) regulations and Q&Q at different times confirmed that the supplied product met specifications.
The witness told the court that the vessel, which conveyed the product, carried 25,000 metric tonnes of diesel of which 10,000 metric tons were discharged for the Mobil/Nadabo Energy Limited contract.
He also said after Nadabo invited Mettle Energy to execute the contract backed by Nadabo’s letter of credit from Spring Bank, Mettle invited Jil Engineering and Rendbrant Limited to the contract.
“In his statement, Kwande stated that the transaction contract Mobil had with Nadabo was executed by Trafigura. The ship that conveyed the product had 25,000 metric tons, but Mobil needed only 10,000 metric tonnes.
“Mettle Energy brought in Jil Engineering and Rendbrant. Jil Engineering brought in smaller board that could not load the products at once and so, the products were loaded in batches,” Ubani said.
When Bode Olanipekun (SAN) cross-examined him, he (Ubani) revealed that Jil Engineering sold some of the 10, 000 metric tons, which was part of Mobil’s diesel to NAC oil.
He added that although he was unaware that Jil Engineering made any payments to Trafigura, he confirmed that he sighted the agreement between Nadabo and Mobil to supply 10,000 metric tonnes.
“There was no document to show that Jil Engineering made any payment to Trafigura, but I saw an agreement between Mobil and Nadabo. I didn’t see any agreement between Nadabo and Trafigura,” Ubani added.
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