- Three found culpable in Oyo
The Calabar Division of the Court of Appeal, weekend, upheld the conviction of a notorious fraudster, Scales Olatunji, found guilty for internet fraud and money laundering by a Federal High Court, sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
Justice Agatha Okeke had on June 27, 2022, convicted Olatunji of forty-five count charges of internet fraud and money laundering preferred against him by the Uyo Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Commission, EFCC.
He was consequently sentenced to 235 years imprisonment, without an option of a fine by the trial judge. Olatunji was prosecuted, following the receipt of a petition by Oslo Police District, Norway, requesting the assistance of the EFCC in investigating a network of Nigerian citizens, who had serially duped some Norwegians.
Investigations showed that the convict belonged to a syndicate of internet fraudsters who specialized in Business Email Compromise, BEC. Olatunji defrauded the Norwegian Government and its citizens to the tune of N525,172,580.
He used the proceeds of the crime to purchase luxurious properties in choice areas within Lagos State. The offence contravened the provisions of Section 18 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act.
Dissatisfied with the judgment, Olatunji approached the appellate court to set it aside.
He raised 11 grounds of appeal and prayed the appellate court to quash the lower court’s judgment.
But counsel to the EFCC, Nwandu Ukoha, prayed the court to uphold the judgment of the lower court and dismiss the appeal on the grounds that “the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubts”.
Delivering judgment on Friday, the three-man panel led by Justice Muhammed Baba Idris, upheld the conviction of Olatunji and dismissed his appeal.
Relatedly, an Oyo State High Court, Ibadan, has sentenced three internet fraudsters, Yusuf Nurudeen Mayowa, Alloy Wisdom Chibuzor and Muheez Adeshina Ayomide to various prison terms after convicting them of the crimes levied against them by the EFCC.
Yusuf was arraigned on a one count charge of aiding an obtainment of property by false pretenses, contrary to Sections 7(b) and 419 of the Criminal Code Law Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000, while Chibuzor and Ayomide were arraigned on a count charge each for impersonation, contrary to Section 484 of the Criminal Code Law Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.
Upon their arraignments before Justice Ladiran Akintola, they all pleaded guilty to the charges preferred against them by the Ibadan Zonal Command of the EFCC.
Consequently, prosecution counsel, Samsuddeen Bashir and Mabas Mabur, reviewed the cases and tendered documentary evidence that were admitted as exhibits. They prayed the court to convict and sentence the defendants as charged.
Justice Akintola, convicted and sentenced Yusuf to six months community service and a N200,000 fine. Chibuzor and Ayomide bagged three months community service each and N100,000 and N50,000 fines respectively.
The court ordered that Yusuf should forfeit the sum of seven million, three hundred and five thousand, nine hundred and seventy-eight Naira warehoused in his Guaranty Trust Bank account with number 0209559041, as well as a Toyota Camry saloon car to the federal government.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of all items recovered from the other convicts to the federal government and restitution to their various victims.