From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
An employee of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA), Engineer Dasel Nanjwan, has been sentenced to three years imprisonment by a Court of Appeal in Calabar Division over a 342 million naira contract fraud.
Nanjwan was re-arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) after he was earlier discharged and acquitted by a High Court in Calabar.
The ICPC in a statement said Nanjwan was sentenced to three years imprisonment by the Calabar Division of Court of Appeal for holding private interest in a N342 Million contract regarding the replacement of warehouses and factories at the Calabar Free Trade Zone.
‘Engineer Nanjwan was a Member of the Technical Committee on the side of the Federal Government in a negotiation with General Electric (GE) Africa, on investments in the Calabar Free Trade Zone as well as the owner and sole signatory to the account of Kwop-ri Services, the Company that won the contract,’ the ICPC said in the statement.
‘The defendant was initially arraigned by the Commission before Calabar High Court presided over by Justice Emily Ibok on a five – count charge which include knowingly holding private interest in a N342 million contract connected with an office which he is employed, an offence contrary to and punishable under section 12 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.’
In a judgement delivered at the High Court in Calabar by Justice Emily Ibok on 19th May 2019, the defendant was discharged and acquitted of all charges.
Dissatisfied with the judgement, ICPC filed an appeal at the Calabar Division of the Court of Appeal.
‘The Court of Appeal in a unanimous judgement set aside the decision of the lower court and sentenced the defendant to three years imprisonment,’ the statement said.