Justice J. J. Majebi of the Kogi State High Court sitting in Okene has sentenced three former officials of Bassa Local Government Area of the state to 12 years imprisonment for a N160 million fraud....
The convicts are Joseph Agbo, Director, Local Government and Head of Service; John Ekele, Treasurer and Financial Adviser to the Executive Chairman and Abubakar Adamu, Chief Environmental Health Officer.
They were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on March 13, 2012 on a four-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust to the tune of N160 million.
The offence is punishable under Section 97(1) and 315 of the Penal Code Law of Kogi State. The convicts converted to their personal use N160 million being a loan facility obtained on behalf of Bassa Local Government Area for some projects.
The Head, Media & Publicity, EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, said they convicts pleaded not guilty to the charges, thereby setting the stage for their full trial. In the course of the trial, the prosecution counsel, T. N. Ndifon, presented a number of witnesses and tendered various documents to prove his case against the convicts.