The Chairman of the House of Representatives adhoc Committee investigating the alleged sale of about 48 million barrels of crude oil and loss of about $2.4 billion in China, Mark Gbillah alleged that some persons who were fugitive of the law in their country were busy doing business in the nation’s oil and gas sector.
Hon Gbillah also said that the House may issue summons on the owners of Sterling Exploration and Sterling Global for failure to appear before the Committee.
While speaking on Wednesday at the resumed investigative hearing of the Committee on Wednesday, the lawmaker lamented that the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning has refused to appear before the committee to answer questions or make a formal presentation.
He, however, said that the Minister of Justice and Attorney General will appear before the Committee on Thursday to answer questions and make clarifications on some grey areas, adding that the committee will proceed after that to compile it’s report.
He also said that the Committee will discuss the issue of fugitives doing business in the country with the Attorney General when he appear before the committee.
He said “here is an issue with the commission regarding Sterling Global and the Sterling group which information available to the Committee has confirmed owners of this group appeared to be fugitive of the law in their own country.
“Such persons have taken Solence in Nigeria and are carrying out high level business involving our common wealth in the country against what alot might consider as being against international best practices and certain conventions of the United Nations.
“We will discuss this extensively with the Attorney General tomorrow and we have invited those individuals and companies to appear and they have not done so.
“We might proceed to issue formal summon to Sterling Exploration and Sterling Oil and the owners of the sterling groups if at the end of tomorrow, they don’t appear before this committee”.
