Retired NPA employee sentenced to 14 years in prison for N24.3m fraud

 

An Ikeja Special Offences Court on Wednesday sentenced a retired staff of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Nasiru Ogara, to 14 years’ imprisonment for engaging in N24.3 million waste bin and vehicle documents fraud.

Justice Mojisola Dada, while delivering the judgment in the case, held that the prosecution effectively proved the ingredients of the offences filed against the retiree and his company, New Age Motor Waste Basket Ltd.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ogara and New Age Motor Waste Basket Ltd. were prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a four-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretences and issuance of dud cheques.

Dada found the defendants guilty on counts one, two, and three, and sentenced Ogara to 14 years in prison on counts one and two. She sentenced the retiree to two years’ jail term on count three.

The judge, however, discharged the defendants on count four. She held that the sentences should run concurrently.

The judge imposed a fine of N15 million on the retiree’s company (five million Naira each on counts one to three). She also ordered that the company should be wound up, its assets sold, and the proceeds used to pay the complainant.

The judge ordered the retiree to restitute the sum N24.3 million to the complainant.

According to EFCC counsel, Mr Nwandu Ukoha, Ogara and the company committed the offences on Dec. 17, 2017.

The commission said that Ogara induced Mr Usman Ademoye, Director of Kelly Newton Nigeria Ltd., to confer a benefit on him by delivering 8,000 units of waste bin worth N5.2 million to him in the understanding that the waste bins would be paid for.

The commission said that Ogara knew the representation to be false.

The EFCC added that Ogara induced Ademoye, the complainant, to confer a benefit on him by delivering copies of Kogi State Vehicle Consolidated documents worth N19.1 million to him in the understanding that the documents would be paid for.

It said that Ogara knew the representation to be false.

The prosecution called two witnesses through whom several documents were tendered and admitted by the court as exhibits.

The complainant testified as the first prosecution witness. Ogara testified as the first defense witness, denying the allegations. Two other witnesses testified in his defense.

The offences are contrary to Section 1(1)(b) and (2) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Fraud Offences Act of 2006, and Section 1(1)(b) and 2(b) of the Dishonored Cheques (Offences) Act, 2004. (NAN)