The Managing Director of Ontario Oil and Gas Limited, Mrs.Ada Ugo-Ngalihas been sentenced to 69 years imprisonment for a fuel subsidy fraud of N754 million. Justice Latee Okunnuof the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja gave the judgment on Thursday, January 26. The jail term, however, will run concurrently for 10 years. Ugo-Ngali was also ordered to return the N754 million to the Federal Government.

The convict would have been sentenced on January 13, the day she was found guilty of the crime, but she slumped in court just before the judgment was about to be passed.

She was rushed toHavannah HospitalinSurelerearea of Lagos and later moved to the intensive care unit of theLagos State University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba. Ugo-Ngali was said to have been brought to court on Thursday straight from LUTH and on a wheel chair, with plasters on her body. But her ill-health did not stop Justice Okunnu from sending her to prison. The judge rejected her lawyer's plea that the sentence should be non-custodial in view of his client’s health.

"I have considered the plea of the defence counsel for a non-custodial sentence of the 2nd defendant. I have to say that the request to grant a non-custodial sentence must be rejected and I can only exercise my discretion on the length of time the convict will spend in prison,"Justice Okunnu held. The judge, therefore, sentenced Ugo-Ngali to a cumulative jail term of 69 years.

Justice Okunnu said the jail term will start reading from the day Ugo-Ngali and her accomplices were pronounced convicted, which was on January 13. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned Ugo-Ngali, Ontario Oil and Gas Limited and its Chairman, Mr.Walter Wagbatsomaon eight counts. Wagbatsoma, who is the first convict in the case, is said to be currently under house arrest in theUnited Kingdom. It was gathered that he is being held for money laundering, relating to a £12 million National Health Service Trust Fund.

Posted on 27/01/17