George Uboh, the serial fraudster who
sensationally accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of diverting
proceeds of recovered assets was today convicted and sentenced to three years imprisonment
by Justice S. E. Aladetoyinbo of the Federal Capital Territory High Court
Abuja, for his role in converting the property of the defunct Police Equipment
Foundation to his own use.
Uboh was arraigned by the EFCC on a three count
charge bordered on Criminal Breach of Trust involving the sale of PEF vehicles.
He allegedly abused his position as former
Head of Security and Communication Department, Police Equipment Foundation,
PEF, to convert the properties of the foundation to his personal use.
The charge reads:
“That you, George Uboh, sometime in 2007 in
Abuja, the judicial division of the high court of the Federal Capital
Territory, being a servant in the
employment of the Police Equipment Foundation, and in such capacity entrusted
with certain property, to wit: six units of operational vehicles, did commit
criminal breach of trust by selling one Toyota Hilux pick-up van through one
Egbon Blessing, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 314
of the penal code
“That you, George Uboh, sometime in 2007 in
Abuja, the judicial division of the high court of the Federal Capital
Territory, being a servant in the employment of the Police Equipment
Foundation, and in such capacity entrusted with certain property, to wit: six
units of operational vehicles, did commit criminal breach of trust by selling
one Toyota Hilux pick-up vans to Muha Motors, and thereby committed an offence
punishable under Section 314 of the penal code.
“That you, George Uboh, sometime in 2007 in
Abuja, the judicial division of the high court of the Federal Capital
Territory, being a servant in the employment of the Police Equipment
Foundation, and in such capacity entrusted with certain property, to wit: six
units of operational vehicles, did commit criminal breach of trust by selling
two units of Toyota Hilux pick-up vans, and therefore committed an offence
punishable under Section 314 of the penal code.”
He had pleaded
not guilty, thus setting the stage for full tial during which the prosecution
called several witnesses to prove its case.
Uboh claimed that the former National
Coordinator, PEF, Kenny Martins, gave him some PEF vehicles to offset the debt
owned him by the Foundation.
However, during cross-examination, he admitted
that he did not have any evidence of transfer of ownership of the vehicles from
PEF. “I know the vehicles belong to PEF. But it was to offset the debt owed me.
The Hilux pickup vans are four and not five,” Uboh said.
With his conviction today, Uboh who runs a company called Panic Alert Security System (PASS), completes a double as a certified fraudster having previously been convicted of wire fraud in the United States.
He was prosecuted after US law enforcement
agents carried out a major raid on a credit card and bank fraud ring led by Uboh
in Georgia in 1992. He came out of jail on January 16, 2001. Fifteen years
after, he is back in jail.
However, Justice Aladetoyinbo gave Uboh an
option of N 4 million fine.
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