Ada Ugo-Ngali faints in court after conviction for subsidy scam

 

The Managing Director of Ontario Oil and Gas Limited, Mrs. Ada Ugo-Ngali, fainted on Friday at the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja after being convicted of N754m oil subsidy scam by the court. It was reported that while Justice Lateefa Okunnu was delivering judgement as she was about to pronounce sentence, the defendant slumped, The Judge could not continue with the sentencing. It was adjourned to January 16th 2017.

The prosecuting counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), had pointed out to the judge that the offence carried a seven-year jail term and urged the judge to impose the maximum sentence.

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

It could be recalled that 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 EFCC, in the eight counts pressed against them, alleged that they were involved in a N1.9bn fuel subsidy scam.

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

Pronouncing her judge on Friday, 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.

After pronouncing his client guilty, Ngo-Ngali's lawyer, Mr. E.D. Onyeke urged Justice Okunnu to temper justice with mercy.

'The second defendant has health challenges, in the course of the trial she has had cause to visit doctors abroad to take care of her health issues as the health care system in Nigeria is poor.

'As the MD, she is an employer of labour whose workers depend on her managerial abilities, her workers will suffer more than necessary especially in this period of recession,' Onyeke pleaded.

'It is our humble plea that court grants her a custodial sentence starting from the day she was arraigned,' he added.

Responding, however, the prosecutor, Jacobs, said, 'The minimum sentence of the offences which the convicts have been convicted is seven years.

'A custodial sentence will be sending a wrong signal to the public that the rich cannot go to prison and will be a hindrance to our fight against corruption.

'There is also no medical report regarding the alleged ill health of the defendant and the prison has medical facilities, if they can provide for the poor, they can provide for the rich.