An Ikeja High Court, on Thursday, sentenced two oil marketers, Omoniyi Epebinu and Adekanbi Adedayo, to seven years imprisonment for defrauding a man of N3 million for Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) contract.
The convicts’ companies, Pure Pack Oil Nigeria Ltd. and First Hallmark Energy Ltd., were also fined N100,000 each, having been found guilty of counts one and two.
Justice Sodetan Ogunsanya, who, however, discharged and acquitted the convicts on count six, held that the prosecution had proved the other counts against them beyond reasonable doubt.
In her judgment, Ogunsanya found the duo guilty as charged, and sentenced them to seven years jail term each on counts one and two, and three years jail term on counts three, four, five, seven and eight.
The judge ordered that the convicts should serve out their terms concurrently.
The convicts had pleaded not guilty to the eight-count charge, bordering on conspiracy to obtain money under false pretence, obtaining by false pretence, felony and forgery.
During the trial, the Prosecution Counsel, Mr Minabani Owede, presented four witnesses and tendered 12 exhibits to prove the case against the defendants.
Owede told the court that the defendants committed the offences between Oct. 22 and Oct. 28, 2014, and Dec. 8 and Dec. 15, 2014 in Lagos.
He submitted that the defendants obtained the sum of N3 million from one Mr Ayo Faleti, with an assurance of securing a contract from NNPC to supply crude oil from Nigeria to United States of America.
Owede said that the sum represented one per cent contract performance bond payment, a representation the defendants knew to be false.
He stated that the defendants forged a document entitled: “To whom it may concern: Letter of authority to sell Bonny light crude and to represent the NNPC/Shell JV operators Bonny terminal,” issued in favour of Pure Pack Oil Nigeria Ltd., purporting same to be issued by NNPC.
According to him, the offences contravene Sections 1(3), 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offenses, 2006 and Sections 363 (3) and 409 of the Criminal Code Law, 2011.
