The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission recorded its first conviction for 2015 on Wednesday as Justice A. Ongetenu of the Federal High Court, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State convicted and sentenced one Monday Agha to 10 years imprisonment for offences bordering on conspiracy, impersonation and obtaining money by false pretence.
Agha, who was arraigned on July 20, 2013, allegedly fraudulently opened several accounts in different banks using fictitious names with which he conspired with one Moses to defraud some unsuspecting victims.
After diligent prosecution, Justice Ongetenu convicted the accused on six of the eight count charge preferred against him and sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment.
The convict was also ordered to pay N2.730 million in restitution to the complainant.
One of the charge reads: “That you Agha Monday (a.k.a Nwachukwu Peter Elom), Elder Emmanuel Elom, (at large) Obinna Chijioke (at large) Agatha Chigbata Munachi (at large) Anthonia C. Nwigwe (at large) Hon. P. A. Odonio (at large) sometime between December 2010 and April 2011 in Ebonyi State, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Abakaliki with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of five hundred and fifteen thousand naira (N515,000.00) from Chinyere Bright through Oceanic Bank (now Eco Bank) account number 0190001034503 by false pretence that the said Chinyere Bright has been awarded a contract for the printing and supply of 25,000 pieces of polo shirts by the Government of Ebonyi State and the said money is for mobilisation and processing of the said contract, which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of Advance Fee Fraud and other fraud Related Offences Act,2006 and punishable under Section 1(3)of the same Act.”
The convict had previously been convicted by a Federal High Court, Enugu and sentenced to seven years in prison for defrauding a University don of N805,000.
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