Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court, sitting in Asaba, Delta State, has convicted and sentenced a former Relationship Manager with the United Bank for Africa, UBA, Victor Onodavwerho, to one year imprisonment.
The convict was arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on money laundering. Justice Buba found him guilty of all the charges and sentenced him to one year imprisonment on each of the four counts. The sentence is to run concurrently.
Onodavwerho ran into troubles when he forged the letter-heads of Edo State Universal Basic Education Board and converted a sum of N20,000,000 belonging to the Board to build a hotel in his name. His bank petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and he was arrested and prosecuted. Thirteen (13) witnesses were presented against him by the Prosecution Counsel, Kayode Oni.
In the same vein, Justice Buba found one Emeka Edem guilty of two-counts of conspiracy and illegal dealing in petroleum products.
He was convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment. The sentence came with an option of fine of Two Hundred Thousand Naira (N200, 000, 00) on each count. Also, a Mercedes Benz Truck, loaded with 30 drums of products confirmed to be crude oil, used by the convict to commit the crime, was forfeited to the Federal Government.
Edem was arrested by the Joint Task Force (JTF) “Operation Restore Hope” with a Mercedes Benz Truck, with registration number Ebonyi XA 327 CHR, loaded with 30 drums of petroleum products confirmed to be crude oil. The matter was transferred to the Commission for further prosecution.
He was arraigned on 22 January, 2009 before Justice M.B.Idris of Federal High Court, sitting in Benin before the matter was transferred to Asaba division of the Federal High Court.
