A former commissioner for Transport in Imo State, Laz Okoroafor-Anyanwu, was Tuesday sentenced to three years imprisonment.
Anyanwu who served under the Rochas Okorocha administration, was sentenced after being found guilty of the charges preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The judge, K.A. Lewanya, while sentencing him, said the jail term would run concurrently.
He added that the covict was found guilty of fraud, looting of public funds and stealing, diverting N180 million of state funds into a private company account where he was a major shareholder and sole signatory when he superintended and doubled as Commissioner for Transport and the Interim Committee Chairman of the Imo State Transport Company (ITC) which he said is against Section 12 and 19 of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) 2020.
The judge maintained that by that action, Anyanwu had violated the public procurement act, abuse of office and using his office to gain undue advantage in his dealings during his tenure as Commissioner for Transport and Interim Committee Chairman of ITC.
He said the EFCC lawyer, Michael Ani, was able to prove beyond all reasonable doubts that when Anyanwu was commissioner between 2015 and 2019, he transferred the sum of N100 million from the ITC account to his private company named Oma Oil Industries Limited which is against Section 12 and 19 of the ICPC act 2020 for public servants.
The judge also said the former commissioner signed off another N80 million from governnent’s coffers directly to his private account with the motive that he wanted to procure some vehicles for ITC without due process and recourse to the public procurement act.
Lewanya, while sentencing him to prison, ordered that the looted sum of N180 million found in his account be forfieted to the state transport company.
