By Adewale Sanyaolu
Two members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Chinedu Okoronkwo and Danladi Pasali, have been quizzed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged forgery of company registration documents.
The duo were reportedly detained by the EFCC last Wednesday, for allegedly parading themselves as Managing Director and Company Secretary respectively of Agge Refinery and Petrochemical Company Limited and Creek Refinery Petrochemical Nigeria Limited. They were however, released on bail on Saturday night.
On the allegations, the National President of IPMAN, Lawason Obasi, said some directors at Agge Refinery and Creek Petrochemical Limited, petitioned the EFFC when they discovered that their signatures were allegedly forged by Okoronkwo and Pasali.
When contacted, Okoronkwo confirmed he was quizzed by the EFFC and subsequently released on bail, but denied the allegations of forgery.
‘‘There is nothing like forgery in this case. I did not forge anybody’s signature. Forgery for what? The company in question is yet to take-off, so how did the idea of forgery come up? Did they say we collected a dime from anyone? So, I don’t have any idea about such allegation.
“The EFFC has the right to invite anyone to defend himself in any matter because no one is above the law. But to say I was invited on the allegation of fraud, is farther from the truth,” he said.
Okoronkwo said the claim by the petitioners that their signatures were forged cannot stand because they consented by sending their data pages as part of the requirements for company registration in Nigeria, and cannot claim that their signatures were forged. “Did their data pages fly to CAC then,” he queried.
He said he was being persecuted by the petitioners for raising the alarm over a N10.9 billion subsidy scam in IPMAN Investment, where he is also a director. He said rather than the petitioners addressing the issues he raised, they were trying to divert attention by alleging that he forged documents.
He explained that the company’s legal adviser, Baba Kano Omar and son of one of the petitioners, was the person who perfected the company’s registration process and has all the documents of who signed what in his custody.
Lawson advised companies and organisations to be cautious on use of companies to transact businesses unknown to the Directors.
He said that the operational activities of these companies in any form, either locally or internationally is illegal, null and void and of no effect.
Source : The Sun
