By Adedapo Adesanya
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) has arraigned three persons before Justice J.K. Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt on two count charges bordering on conspiracy and illegal dealing in petroleum products without an appropriate licence.
The suspects, Enemo Okoria, Ebhofage Brown and Francis Dapagamo, were arraigned along with a tugboat DP28 and a firm, Diesel Power Nigeria Limited.
According to EFCC, the accused persons were arrested along the Onne waterways on April 20, 2018, by operatives of the Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Pathfinder while transshipping 261,000 litres of suspected illegally refined automotive gas oil (AGO), from the tugboat into a vessel, MV Nazarene, without requisite license or authority to deal in petroleum products.
All the defendants pleaded “not guilty” to the charges when read to them.
In view of their pleas, the prosecution counsel, J.N Dogonyaro, called on the court for a date to commence trial, while counsel to the Ist defendants, Dionu Nnah; Peace Anucha; for the 2nd defendant, Peace Anucha; for the third defendant, G.C. Egule; and for the 4th and 5th defendants, B.O Koko, informed the court of bail applications already filed on behalf of their clients.
The judge, Justice Omotosho, adjourned the matter to May 18, 2021, for hearing of bail applications and ordered that the defendants be remanded in a correctional centre.
Modupe Gbadeyanka