Five sentenced to seven years in Nigeria fraud case
The Lagos State High Court in Tapa sentenced five people to seven years in prison each in a fraud case against Chi Limited. The court also ordered the convicts to repay the company the amounts specified in the charges, minus funds already paid to it, Premium Times Nigeria reports.
Court verdict
Judge Kudirat Jose found Yinka Salawa, Joshua Oluremi Daramola, Raji Ahmed, Afolabi Israel Olusegun and Muraina Olanrewaju Abdullahi guilty on three counts. Each was sentenced to seven years in prison without the option of replacing the punishment with a fine.
The court ruled that the time each convict had already spent in custody should be credited toward their sentence. The judge also stated that money already paid to Chi Limited should be deducted from the restitution amounts.
Case circumstances
The case concerned events in 2009. Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission brought six charges, including conspiracy to obtain money by false pretences, obtaining money by false pretences and document forgery.
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According to Dele Oyewale, a spokesperson for the Commission, the defendants received funds from Chi Limited to supply goods and provide services, but did not supply the goods, provide the services or return the money. In one episode, according to the prosecution, they and other persons who remain at large obtained 81,359,922 Nigerian naira in 2009 by falsely claiming that it was payment for goods and services for Chi Limited.
The prosecution said that two counts involved 117,755,061 Nigerian naira. It also requested that the first convict’s property be sold and the proceeds transferred to Chi Limited, or that the property be forfeited in favor of the company.
Trial proceedings
The prosecution called 17 witnesses, including employees of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the police, banks and Chi Limited, and also submitted documents in support of the charges. The court acquitted and discharged the second, third and eighth defendants. Chi Limited produces, among other things, food products and beverages under the Chivita and Hollandia brands.
