Court sends 14 foreigners to prison over bunkering

A Federal High Court, Lagos, presided over by Justice Ibrahim Buba, Friday, convicted 14 foreigners bunkering and dealing illegally in petroleum products in Nigeria.

Justice Buba found them guilty of dealing in 1,738.087 metric tons of petroleum product in Nigeria without lawful authority or licence as charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

11 of the convicts were sentenced to two years imprisonment with an option to a pay a fine of N2m each. The sentence is to run from March 2015 when they apprehended and handed over the EFCC by the Navy.

The remaining three, who were convicted in absentia, after jumping bail, were sentenced to five years imprisonment without an option of fine. Justice Buba also issued a bench warrant for their arrest. The three are Russians.

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The judge, also in the judgment, ordered the forfeiture of the petroleum products and the bunkering vessel into which they were loaded to the Federal Government, while the two companies convicted alongside with the foreigners were ordered to pay N5m fine on each of the five counts levelled against them.

It would be recalled that the EFCC had arraigned the 14 foreigners before Justice Buba on June 10, 2015 on a four count charge. The charge was however amended when it was increased to five.

Their names, as listed on the charge sheet, are Artur Pakhladzhian, Sergo Abbgarian, Vasily Shkundich, vitaliy Bilours, Hlarion Regipor, Laguta Oleksiy and Cadavis Gerarado.

Others are Kretov Andry, Badurian Benjamin, Chepikov Olksan, Naranjo Antero, Patro Christian, Alcayde Joel and Caratiquit Beyan. They were identified as citizens of Russia, Philippine, Ukraine and Japan.

The companies were identified as Monjasa DMCC, and Glencore Energy UK Ltd.

In his judgment, Justice Buba said he was satisfied that the prosecution proved its case against the defendants beyond reasonable doubts, adding that he had no difficulty in convicting them on all the five counts preferred against them.

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