Court adjourns sentence on convicted Ex-NIMASA DG; - returned to Ikoyi Prisons,

– lawyer begs for leniency

Abiodun OBA

A Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday, further adjourned until June 3, to sentence a former acting Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Calistus Obi, convicted of fraud charges.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission charged Obi with eight counts of fraud.

He was charged along with one Alu Dismas, who was an aide to a former DG of NIMASA, Patrick Akpobolokemi.

Also charged were two companies, Grand Pact Ltd and Global Seal Investment Ltd.

On May 23, the court had convicted the defendants, after it found them guilty of allegations contained in the charge.

Delivering her judgement, which lasted for about two and a half hours, Justice Olatoregun had first highlighted the chronological sequence of proceedings and arguments during the trial.

The court had accordingly, found the first defendant guilty of counts five, six, seven and eight of the charge, and also found the second defendant guilty of counts two and four of the charge

The court had then adjourned the case for counsel to address the court on sentencing.

On Tuesday, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo appeared for the EFCC while Messrs Mobolaji Kuti and Collins Ogbonna appeared for the first to fourth defendants.

Addressing the court, the prosecutor urged that the defendants be punished according to the provisions of the law, by imposing the requisite sentence.

Oyedepo argued that for wasting the time of the court which ultimately found them guilty of the offence, the defendants are thus, not qualified to enjoy the discretion of the court in not imposing the maximum sentence.

“This is a time we must begin to make statements that send a signal to public servants and those entrusted with public funds, not to betray the trust imposed on them as the court had found in this case.

“The first and second defendant converted the total sum of N111 million to their personal use, while the first, third, and fourth defendants converted the sum of N114million to their personal use.

“The court has the power to order them to refund the money and compensate the Agency for the funds already utilised.

“We also urge the court to order the forfeiture to the Federal Government, of the sum of N30 million recovered by the EFCC from the first defendant,” he said.

Prosecution also urged the court to order forfeiture to the Federal Government, of a Hotel in Asaba called La Diva Hotel and Events Centre, which is owned by the first defendant.

“Doing this will also send a warning signal to intending members of the public, who want to “dip their hands into public funds,” he said.

For the third and fourth defendants, Oyedepo cited the provisions of sections 15(4) of the ACJA, which imposes a fine of 100 per cent on corporate bodies found guilty of such allegations.

He, therefore, urged the court to make an order, imposing such fines on the companies, as they aided the defendants in committing the offence.

In his plea for mercy on behalf of the first convict, his counsel (Kuti) urged the court to temper justice with mercy as he was a first time offender, with no past criminal records.

Citing the provisions of section 416 (d) of the ACJA, he argued that the law provides that a court shall not impose the maximum sentence on a first time offender.

Counsel informed the court that the convict had been in dedicated service to the public for long.

He told the court that the convict had a family who depended solely on him and urged the court to be lenient.

Besides, Kuti also urged the court that in sentencing the convict, the court should order his remand in the Kirikiri prisons instead of Ikoyi Prisons.

On his part, second defence counsel (Ogbonna), urged the court to give justice a “human face”.

He sued for a non-custodian sentence for the second convict, whom he described as a mere “conduit pipe” used to deliver money to his superiors.

According to him, the second convict did not benefit from the said funds but had only acted on instructions. He added that he had an aged father and a little baby who just turned one year.

After listening to respective submissions of counsel, Justice Olatoregun deferred sentence until June 3, and ordered the convicts to be remanded in Ikoyi prison, pending sentence.