By Tayo Ogunlana
A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, on Thursday sentenced a man, Jonathan Wallang, to seven years imprisonment without an option of fine.
Wallang was convicted for defrauding the Cooperative Society of the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) of the sum of N700m.
He was arraigned in 2015 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abuja Zonal Directorate on a seven-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence.
The convict had pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him, paving way for his full trial.
Delivering judgment, however, Justice Hamza Muazu held that Wallang was guilty of defrauding the NLNG Cooperative Society of the sum of N700,000, 000( Seven Hundred Million Naira only) and sentenced him to jail in the Kuje Correctional Centre.
He was convicted on counts 1, 2 and 3 bordering on conspiracy and forgery and sentenced to two years imprisonment with an option of fine of N200, 000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) each.
Wallang was also convicted on counts 6 and 7, which border on obtaining money by false pretense and was sentenced to seven years imprisonment without an option of fine.
The judge further ordered the convict to pay a restitution sum of N580, 000,000 (Five Hundred and Eighty Million Naira) to NLNG Staff Bonny Cooperative Investment and Credit Society Limited.
In the course of the trial, two defendants, Ola Peter and Ijeoma David died.
The 1st defendant, Emeka Iloegbunam was later discharged and acquitted, while Wallang was convicted and jailed accordingly.
Wallang’s journey to Kuje Correctional Center began in 2015 when the Cooperative Society petitioned him, and three others who connived with him, to the EFCC.
They were alleged to have committed the crime by falsely claiming to have secured landed properties for the cooperative it in the Federal Capital Territory.
Count 6 of the charges reads: “That you Jonathan Wallang, being the Managing Director of Swift and Hay Limited, on or about the 20th October 2011 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
“With intent to defraud, you obtained the sum of N520,000,000 (Five Hundred and Twenty Million Naira) from the NLNG Staff Bonny Cooperative Investment and Credit Society Limited through Dinijocs Nigeria Limited paid into Swift and Hay Limited First Bank Account No:2016419957 under the pretext of selling a plot of land viz: Plot No1 Idu-Sabo District, Cadastral Zone D04, measuring 643398 Hectares covered by File no: MISC 106282 belonging to Larix Company Limited, which you had no authority to sell.
“You, thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud Related Offences Act,02006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act”
Count seven reads: “That you Jonathan Wallang being the Managing Director of Swift and Hay Limited on or about the 3rd November 2011 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
“With the intent to defraud obtained the sum of N130,000,000 (One Hundred and Thirty Million Naira) only from the NLNG Staff Bonny Cooperative Investment and Credit Society Limited through Dinijocs Nigeria Limited paid into Swift and Hay Limited First Bank Account No:2016419957 under the pretext of selling a plot of land viz: Plot No1 Idu-Sabo District, Cadastral Zone D04, measuring 643398 Hectares covered by File no: MISC 106282 belonging to Larix Company Limited which you had no authority to sell.
”You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act”.
