Subsidy Fraud: EFCC Seeks Court Warrant on Ogunbambo

Posted by African Examiner Crime Watch, Latest Headlines Friday, December 13th, 2013

Ruth Bamidele, Lagos

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC on Thursday urged a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja to issue a bench warrant on Oluwaseun Ogunbambo and grant it power to verify a medical report claiming that the defendant is medically unfit to stand trial.

Oluwaseun Ogunbambo is presently standing trial alongside Mamman Nasir Ali, Christian Taylor and Nasama Oil Services Limited for their alleged involvement in a N5.46 Billion oil subsidy fraud.

Counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo said that “Ogunbambo’s medical report should be ignored, it should not just be taken on its face value and be acted upon by the court, because the signature on the

document is not enough proof that the report actually emanated from a hospital or that a medical practitioner actually signed the report”

He added that the EFCC had filed an application before the court to enable it verify the authenticity of the report

Counsel to Ogunbambo, Mobolaji Akintunde however countered the application, stating that there was no basis for issuing a bench warrant on the defendant, when there is no proof of falsification of the medical report or false claim of the health condition of the accused person.

Consequently, Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo granted the EFCC leave of court to verify the genuineness of the medical report, and based on the outcome of the verification, the EFCC can then file any other application, if necessary.

The case was adjourned to February 25 and 26, 2014, for continuation of trial.