BAYELSA COURT SENTENCES 3 INDIANS TO 15 YEARS IMPRISONMENT FOR OIL THEFT

The Federal High Court in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, has sentenced three Indians to 15 years imprisonment for oil theft.

The convicts are the Captain of a vessel MT Akshay, Sailesh Kumar Singh, Chadrashekar Sharma and Ajay Bhatiya, owner of the vessel, who is said to be at large.

A statement signed by the Head of Media and Publicity of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, stated that the three convicts were among 12 suspected oil thieves who were arrested aboard the MT Akshay, by members of the Joint Task Force and the Central Naval Command, Yenagoa in November 2012.

He said the suspects were handed over to the EFCC for further investigation and prosecution.The 157,000 litres of crude oil was said to have been lifted from Auntie and the Matriach Julie Rig of Conoil Nigeria Plc into MT Akshay,He said the act constituted “an offence contrary to Section 1(17)(a) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act CAP M17 of the Revised Edition.

”According to him, the convicts were arraigned on two counts bordering on conspiracy to deal in illegal bunkering on January 22, 2013, and were found guilty after a diligent trial process.One of the charges read: “That you Sailesh Kumar Singh, Chadrashekar Sharma, Dharmaraj Kumar, Ajay Kumar, Nimesh Kodi Parambil, Ashraf,Ali, Sanjeev Kumar, Sarbjot Singh, Arvind Kumar Bhaedwaj, Gagan Kumar, Dele Johnson Olayemi and Benneth Egbegi being crew members in MT Akshay with Ajay Bhatiya (now at large) on or about the 25th day of November, 2012 in Brass, Bayelsa State within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit dealing in Petroleum Product and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 3(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act CAP M17 of the Revised Edition(Laws of the Federation of Nigeria) 2007 and punishable under Section 1(17) of the same Act.”Uwujaren said Justice Lambo Akanbi discharged and acquitted the other suspects who were charged with dealing illegally in petroleum products.

Those who regained their freedom were Dharmaraj Kumar, Ajay Kumar, Nimesh Kodi Parambil, Ashraf Ali, Sanjeev Kumar, Sarbjot Singh, Arvind Kumar Bhardwaj, Gagan Kumar, Dele Johnson Olayemi and Benneth Egbegi.

Source. Punch
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