Court Convicts Man For Defrauding Bank Of N25m
A Federal High Court, Lagos, Friday, convicted a man, Jules Suinner, for defrauding a commercial bank of the sum of N25 million.
Justice Chuka Obiozor who pronounced the man convict, after founding him guilty of all six count charge of conspiracy, fraudulent impersonation, being in possession of proceeds of illicit funds and internet fraud.
The convict was said to have sometimes in 2015, defrauded the bank by hacking into bank and used the email address and letterhead of a company named Greenview Development Nigeria Limited and used same to write a letter the bank to transfer the sum of N25 million, into the account of ICT Aid Foundation Cooperative Society domiciled with United Bank For Africa, UBA.
Upon the transfer of the said N25 million, the convict was said to have dissipated the money into his account domiciled in United Bank of Africa (UBA) and other individuals banks accounts.
Pronouncing the convict guilty as charged on all counts of the charge, Justice Obiozor said all the defence put up by the defendant is contradictory and cannot set him free from the allegations.
Justice Obiozor also held that the prosecution has successfully sufficiently proved all the counts of the charge against the convicts.
“I’m satisfied that the story given by the defendant is q huge hoax. The prosecution has successfully proved the burden on it to established the case of conspiracy and other allegations as contained in the charge against the defendant. The story by the defendant is empty.
“Consequently, the defendant is hereby found guilty of all the counts and hereby convicted”.
Upon the pronouncement of the defendant guilty as charged, his counsel, Mr. Tochukwu Onyuike, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy in sentencing his client.
Tochukwu told the court that his client is a first time offender without a record of previous conviction. Adding that he has been remorseful during his 18 months in detention before perfecting the bail conditions granted him by the court.
He also told the court that the convict is married with kids who solely depend on him for their survival. Adding that if given another opportunity, he has vowed not to engage in such an act again.
He also pleaded with the court to consider the 18 months his client spent in detention and give him lesser terms.
Responding, the EFCC prosecutor, Mrs. Oluwakemi Yemi-Makinde, who stood-in for Ekeli Iheneacho, confirmed that the convict did not have previous record of conviction as her agency (EFCC) is concerns.
However, after the submissions of parties, the judge asked Oluwakemi for terms prescribed by the EFCC Act on each count, she replied by asking the court for a day to enable her finish the court its request.
Consequently, Justice Obiozor, adjourned till next week Friday, for the pronouncement of convict’s jail terms.
The EFCC had on Monday, September 5, 2016, first arraigned the convict before Justice Babs Kuewumi of the same Court on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy to obtain money by false pretence to the tune of N37 (Thirty-Seven Million Naira).
He was however re-arraigned before Justice Obiozor sometimes in October 2017, on an amended charge of six-count of defrauding the bank of N25 million.
