Justice Mallong Peter of the Kaduna Federal High Court on Thursday sentenced one Mohammed Isah, a businessman to three years imprisonment without an option of fine for N3.5 million fraud.
The convict was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kaduna zonal office.
Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, S. H. Sa’ad, had told the court that the convict was first arraigned on Dec. 2, 2017, along with his company, Rabo Construction Company Ltd., on a two-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N3,500, 000 and issuance of dud cheque.
According to Sa’ad, the convict was arrested in 2018 when one Adamu Yusuf reported to the EFCC that the convict deceived him into supply of rods for the execution of a multi-million naira building contract, he claimed to have won.
The prosecution said that after the complainant supplied the rods to him, the convict issued a post-dated cheque, which was returned unpaid.
He further said that investigation by the EFCC revealed that the convict was never awarded any contract, as there was no document to support his claim.
He added that it was further established that the convict sold the rods and diverted the proceeds to his personal use.
The convict had pleaded “not guilty” to the charges and was granted N300, 000 bail.
Sa’ad added that the offence is contrary to Section 1(1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
The convict was, however, sentenced after the prosecution had opened its case by calling two witnesses and tendering nine exhibits. (NAN)
