A former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Clement Onubuogu Illoh, has been sentenced to five years in prison for a N14.1 million fraud
The Head, Media and Publicity for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Wilson Uwujaren, in a press statement, Thursday in Abuja, said the commission secured the conviction before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.
He said the convict was arraigned on October 16, 2017, on a three-count charge bordering on stealing by conversion of property, conversion and concealment to the tune N14.1 million.
The commission’s spokesperson said that Illoh, who was responsible for supervising numerous programmes such as the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), allegedly awarded fictitious contracts to himself, using his personal company and friends.
He said the accused pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against him, thereby setting the stage for his trial.
Delivering judgment Thursday, Justice Taiwo held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, Uwujaren said.
“The defendant’s action is in gross violation of the financial regulation and it shows that the defendant failed to abide by the laid down procedures,” she ruled.
He said Justice Taiwo convicted the accused on counts one and two and sentenced him to five years in prison on both counts without an option of fine.
The Judge, however, discharged the convict on count three “due to fact that the convict did not conceal stolen funds,” but ordered that the convict make restitution of the sum of N3.5 million he withdrew in cash.
She also ordered that N3.5 million recovered from him by the commission during investigation be paid into the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation.
