Alleged £2.6bn Fraud:  Petro Union Cheque is a Forgery, British Crime Detective Tells Court

Wale Igbintade

A senior investigative officer at the National Crime Agency (NCA) in the United Kingdom, Nathaniel John Webb, has told a Federal High Court in Lagos that there was no evidence of the lodgement of  £2.6 billion cheque at Barclays Bank at any time during the existence of Gazeaft Limited and while the account was in existence.

Webb stated this yesterday while giving evidence in the ongoing trial of Petro Union Oil and Gas Limited, a consultant to the company and three of its directors over alleged £2.6 billion alleged fraud filed against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The Consultant is Abayomi Kukoyi (Trading under the name and style of Gladstone Kukoyi & Associates), while the company’s directors on trial are Prince Kingsley Okpala, Prince Chidi Okpalaeze and Prince Emmanuel Okpalaeze

Giving his evidence, detective Sergeant Webb told the court that the NCA was assigned to investigate the activities and status of the two firms, Gazeaft Ltd and Goldmatic Ltd, that were allegedly used by the defendants to perpetrate the alleged fraud

The EFCC witness also informed the court how he made enquiries at Barclays Bank in London on the status of these two firms and found out that they have both been wound up and the accounts closed since 1987 and 1989 respectively.

The EFCC witness further told the court that when the cheque for £2.6 billion drawn on Gazeaft Limited was presented to Union Bank for clearing in 1994, the company and its account at Barclay’s Bank were not in existence.

He also told the court that there was no evidence of the lodgement of the £2.6 billion cheque at Barclays Bank at any time during the existence of Gazeaft Limited and while the account was in existence.

Earlier, an investigative officer with the EFCC, Suleiman Yusuf, had also testified in the matter. In his evidence-in-chief, Sulaiman told the court that he was part of the team that arrested the defendants.

“I am one of the team that investigated this matter. We investigated the matter as a team, and I played many roles at the time. During the investigation, the National Crime Agency (NCA) in the United Kingdom was contacted for enquiries on the two firms used in perpetrating the fraud,” the witness said. “The report of the investigation of the NCA was sent to the Attorney General of the Federation and has been tendered as evidence before the court.”

   Following the conclusion of EFCC’s case, the defence lawyers informed the court that their clients would be filing a no case submission.

The EFCC had on 27th January 2021 re-arraigned the four Directors on a 13-count charge of alleged £2.6 billion fraud.

They were earlier on February 13, 2020, arraigned by the anti-graft agency on a 7-count charge bordering on the alleged offences.

The defendants’ trial subsequently resumed after they all pleaded not guilty to the amended charge.

Some of the counts against the defendants read: “That you Petro Union Oil and Gas Limited, Prince Isaac Okpala (now deceased), Abayomi Kukoyi, Prince Kingsley Okpala, Prince Chidi Okpalaeze, Prince Emmanuel Okpalaeze and Princess Gladys Okpalaeze (now at large) on or about 29th December, 1994 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court fraudulently procured a Barclays Bank cheque dated 29th December, 1994 in the sum of £2,556,000,000.00 made payable to Gladstone Kukoyi and Associates, purporting the said cheque to be meant for foreign investment in the construction of three refineries and petrochemical complex in Nigeria, when you knew that the said cheque to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(2) (a) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990 and punishable under same Section.

“That you Petro Union Oil and Gas Limited, Prince Isaac Okpala (now deceased), Abayomi Kukoyi, Prince Kingsley Okpala, Prince Chidi Okpalaeze, Prince Emmanuel Okpalaeze and Princess Gladys Okpalaeze (now at large) on or about April 10, 2007 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court with intent to defraud, forged a certain document to wit: statement of account in the name of Goldmatic Limited purportedly issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria with Account Number: 10382175 wherein you falsely claimed that the Central Bank had in its custody, the sum of £2,159,221,313.54 in favour of Goldmatic Limited and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 467 (2) (I) of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under the same section.”

Justice Lima has adjourned the matter to June 21 for hearing of the defendants’ no case submission.