The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured the conviction of Sandy Witness Udokpo before Justice Okon Okon of the State High Court, sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. The convict was arraigned on June 21, 2018 on a three-count charge bordering on forgery and obtaining by false pretence. He pleaded not guilty to the charges, setting the stage for his trial.
The convict’s journey to jail began on February 16, 2018 when the Commission received a petition from one Samuel Godwin Ekanem, the General Manager of Jopen Nigeria Limited who alleged he dispatched 45, 000 litres of diesel valued N8, 100, 000 .00 to the convict who claimed to be a contractor with CCECC Nigeria Limited.
Upon receipt of the said product, the convict was said to have disappeared into thin air and efforts made by the complainant to reach him proved abortive, as the Local Purchase Order, LPO, presented for verification was discovered to be fake. In the course of trial, the prosecution, through its counsel, Nwandu Ukoha presented witnesses who tendered various documents which were admitted in evidence.
Delivering judgment, the court struck out count 1 and found the convict guilty on counts 2 and 3. The convict was sentenced to seven years imprisonment without an option of fine for the offence of obtaining by false pretence in count 2 and three years imprisonment for the offence of forgery in count 3, without an option of fine.
One of the counts reads, “You, Witness Sandy Udokpoh “M” sometime in July 2017, at Uyo in Akwa Ibom State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud did induce and fraudulently obtain 45, 000 litres of diesel valued in the sum of eight million and one hundred thousand naira (N8, 100, 000. 00k) from one Samuel Godwin Ekanem under the pretense that you were sent by CCECC Nigeria Limited as a staff, which pretense you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence”.
The offence is contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act, according to a statement on Friday by Wilson Uwujaren, Head, Media and Publicity of the EFCC.
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