The
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, February
3, 2016, secured the convictions of the duo of Valentino Chibueze Enudi
and Monday Adewale Lawal, charged for cheating and criminal conspiracy
before Justice Valentine Ashi of the High Court of the Federal Capital
Territory sitting in Apo, Abuja.
Enudi and Lawal were arraigned on January 18, 2016 on a 15-count charge which they pleaded not guilty to.
Subsequently,
the accused persons, through their counsels, prayed the court to allow
them explore the option of plea bargain with the prosecution.
Justice Ashi, granted their prayers and adjourned the matter to February 3, 2016 for the hearing on the amended charge.
At the resumed hearing, the defendants pleaded guilty to a 2-count amended charge.
Testifying,
an investigating officer with the EFCC, Isa Mohammed, stated that the
arrest of Enudi and Lawal followed a petition received from the British
High Commission, on some activities of fraudsters who fake documents in
the guise of obtaining British Visas for unsuspecting victims.
Mohammed
further told the court that, investigation into the matter revealed
some of the forged documents which included statement of accounts and
letters of introduction from their purported employers, to the
defendants.
The documents were tendered and admitted as exhibits including their plea bargain agreement.
Counsel
to EFCC, Samuel Okeleke thereafter, urged the court to convict the
accused persons based on their plea and the facts of the case.
In
an allocutus, the defence counsel, Adam Imuekemhe and E.E Akutus
representing Enudi and Lawal respectively, prayed the court to tamper
justice with mercy adding that, the defendants are first time offenders
and have shown remorse by co-operating with the prosecution during
investigation.
After
listening to the submissions of the counsel, Justice Ashi convicted the
defendants and sentenced them to 6 months imprisonment on each of the
counts with an option of fine of N200,000 (Two hundred thousand naira)
on each of the counts.
The sentences are to run concurrently.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
3rd January, 2016
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