A former commissioner of Transport in the Rochas Okorocha administration of Imo State, Prince Laseberry Okafor Anyanwu, aka Laseberry Okafor, has been convicted and sentenced to three years imprisonment on a four-count charge that bordered on abuse of office and fraudulent diversion of N180 million.
Justice K. A Lewanya of the Imo State High Court, Owerri, Imo State, who handed the judgement to the ex-commissioner on Tuesday, March 14, 2022, noted that the plaintiff sufficiently proved a case of fraud against the new convict.
Anyanwu diverted the said sum from the account of the Imo Transport Company to Oma Oil & Industries Ltd, a company in which he has an interest through phoney contracts.
His charge sheet reads, “Prince Laseberry Okafor Anyanwu aka Laseberry Okafor between the 6th day of November 2017 and 10th day of November 2017, while being employed as the Chairman, Committee on Review of Imo Transport Company, used his office to confer a corrupt advantage upon himself when he caused the transfer of the N100,000,000.00(One Hundred Million Naira only) property of Imo Transport Company’s account with Imo State Microfinance bank’s Polaris bank account to the Polaris bank account No:40906668828 belonging to Oma Oil & Industries Ltd, a company in which he is a Shareholder/Director/Chairman/Chief Executive and signatory to the bank accounts of the said company”.
Another count reads, “Prince Laseberry Okafor Anyanwu aka Laseberry Okafor also on the 31st day of January 2018, used his office to confer a corrupt advantage upon himself when he caused another transfer of the sum of N80,000.000.00(Eighty Million Naira only) property of Imo State Government from the Imo State Ministry of Transport’s account with Polaris Bank to the Polaris Bank Account No:40906668828 belonging to Oma Oil & Industries Ltd, a company in which he is a Shareholder/Director/Chairman/Chief Executive and signatory to the bank accounts of the said company”.
The defendant had pleaded not guilty to the four counts, setting the stage for the matter to proceed to trial. In the course of trial, the prosecution called three witnesses and tendered several documents which were admitted in evidence as Exhibits.
At the close of the prosecution’s case, the defendant opened his defence and testified for himself.
Delivering judgment on March 14, 2023, Justice Lewanya held that the prosecution had proved the case against the defendant, convicted and sentenced him to one-year imprisonment each on counts 2, 3, and 4 without the option of fine. The sentence shall run concurrently.
The Judge, however, discharged and acquitted him on count one.
The Judge further ordered that the N180 million in the accounts of the defendant, already the subject of an interim forfeiture order, be forfeited to the Imo State Government.
In another development, the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Thursday, March 16, 2023, re-arraigned Portia Emilia for an alleged N110m fraud before Justice O.O. Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.
Emilia was re-arraigned alongside her company, Savanah Crest Investment Limited, on an amended five-count charge bordering on conspiracy to steal, contrary to Section 411 and punishable under section 287 (5) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015; obtaining money and property by false pretence, contrary to Section 1(1)(2) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Fraud Offences Act 2006; Stealing, contrary to Section 280(1) (12)8(7), 285(1) and 278(1)b) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011; and retaining stolen property, contrary to Section 328 (1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
One of the counts in a suit pressed against her reads “Portia Anthony Emilia and Savanah Crest Investment Limited, sometime in 2018 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, stole and dishonestly converted to your own the sum of N40,000,000.00 (Forty million Naira only)”.
Another count reads: “Portia Anthony Emilia and Savanah Crest Investment Limited, sometime in 2018 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, fraudulently obtained the sum of N20,000,000.00 (Twenty million Naira) from one Wendy Daniel.”
Emilia, who also took the plea of the company, pleaded “not guilty” to all the charges.
The prosecution counsel, F. Ofoma, informed the court that the prosecution would close its case, having called two witnesses, through whom several pieces of documentary evidence were tendered.
“The prosecution hereby applies to close its case,” he said.
The defence counsel, J.J. Amodu, prayed to the court for an adjournment to enable him to prepare for his case.
“We also pray this Honourable Court to, upon the re-arraignment of the defendant, allow her to continue to enjoy the bail earlier granted by the court,” he said.
The prayer of the defence was granted and the case was adjourned till June 22, 2023, for the defence.
