Photo: Okafor
Court orders ex-Gov Okorocha’s commissioner to refund N180m, jailed 3 years
An Imo State High Court sitting in Owerri, has sentenced Prince Laseberry Okafor, a former Commissioner for Transport in ex-Gov Rochas Okorocha’s administration to 3 years imprisonment.
Delivering judgment, Justice K. A Lewanya, held that the prosecution had proved the case against the defendant and sentenced him to one year imprisonment each on counts 2, 3, and 4 without an option of fine and ordered that the sentences should run concurrently.
The Judge also ordered that the One Hundred and Eighty Million Naira (N180,000,000) in the accounts of the defendant, already the subject of an interim forfeiture order, be forfeited to the Imo State Government.
He, however, discharged and acquitted the defendant on count one.
Periscope International reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had arraigned Okafor on a four count charge bordering on abuse of office.
The convict was alleged to have fraudulently diverted the sum of N180, 000,000 (One Hundred and Eighty Million Naira only) belonging to the state government while he served as commissioner.
He diverted the said sum from the account of the Imo Transport Company to Oma Oil & Industries Ltd, a company in which he has interest through phony contracts.
The convict had initially pleaded not guilty to the four counts but during his trial the prosecution called three witnesses and tendered several documents which were admitted in evidence against him as Exhibits.
