Alleged forgery: Trial of Uche Ogah, others begins in Lagos

The trial of the presi­dent of Masters Ener­gy Oil and Gas Lim­ited, Dr. Uche Ogah, and a former employee of a com­mercial bank, Deji Somoye, began before a Tinubu Mag­istrate’s Court in Lagos, yes­terday.

The defendants were ar­raigned before Chief Magis­trate, Mrs. Kikelomo Ayeye, over alleged fraud.

The police alleged that Ogah, who was recently de­clared the duly elected gov­ernor of Abia State by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, forged a Memorandum of Under­standing between Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limit­ed and Mut-Hass Petroleum Limited sometime in March 2011.

Ogah and some other persons who are at large were alleged to have forged the sig­nature of one Mrs. Bridget Adeosun to seal the deal.

The alleged forgery was reportedly committed in Ike­ja, Lagos. The case was how­ever adjourned till October 10, 2016 by the court regis­trar due to the absence of the Magistrate.

The police had alleged that the bank aided Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limit­ed to open an account in the name of Mut-Hass Petroleum to perpetrate a fraud without applying its internal control procedures in opening of the account.

The police further claimed that the bank allowed the said account to be opened some­time in 2011 at its regional office in Palmgrove, Lagos, in breach of the provisions of the Financial Institutions Act 2004.

According to the Police prosecutor, ASP Henry Obi­azi, the offences contravened sections 363 (3) (u), 408 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.

The charges read in part: “That you, Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limited, Uche Ogah, and others at large sometime in March 2011 at Ikeja, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did conspire among yourselves to wit: forgery.

“That you, Masters Ener­gy Oil and Gas Limited, Uche Ogah, and others at large, on the same date, time, place and in the aforementioned Mag­isterial District, did forge the signature of one Mrs. Bridg­et Adeosun and a document known as MoU between Mut-Hass Petroleum Limited and Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limited, with an intent that it may be in any way used or act­ed upon as genuine.

“That you, Deji Somoye and others still at large, some­time in August 2011, at the bank’s (name withheld) re­gional office, Palmgrove, in the Lagos Magisterial District, knowing that Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limited designed to commit an offence, failed to use all reasonable means to prevent the commission or the completion of the crime.”

When the case first came up last May, the defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and were admitted to bail in the sum of N200,000 each with one surety each in like sum.

At yesterday’s session of the court, senior officials of the Abia State government stormed the premises.

Ogah’s lawyer, Mr Monday Ubani, had also explained that the forgery allegation by the police was mischievous as the complainant had indeed en­tered a business agreement with Ogah’s company, where she divested her interest in an oil importation contract.

Ubani said part of the agreement included the open­ing of an account in the name of Mut-Hass Energy where proceeds from the oil impor­tation business would be paid into.

He added that the busi­ness went on smoothly un­til Adeosun attempted to al­ter the account signatories and made herself sole signa­tory after the oil business pro­ceeds had been paid into the account.

He said that it was when the bank officials resisted Adeosun’s plot to become the sole signatory to the account that she raised an alarm that her signature was forged.

“We have all our evidence and we will show them to the court; the mischievous nature of the complainant. How can someone attempt to change the signatories of an account you claim was forged? The court will surely hear the truth and I can assure you that truth and justice shall prevail,” he said.

The officials included the Governor’s Chief Press Secre­tary, Eyinnaya Appolos, two personal assistants to the gov­ernor and a former commis­sioner.

Reacting to the presence in the court premises by Abia government officials, Ubani said it was obvious that the al­legation was politically moti­vated.

“You can imagine what happened today. What is the business of Abia State govern­ment in a trial that they are neither complainant nor pros­ecutor? This goes to show you those behind this false allega­tion,” he said