Ex-Maritime Academy staff bags 110 years in Uyo

The Uyo Zonal Command of the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee, EFCC, on Friday, January 27, secured the conviction and sentencing of 1 Charles Emmanuel Afaha, a former employees of Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, earlier than Justice Agatha Okeke of the Federal Excessive Court docket sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

An announcement from the commisison says the convict was arraigned on October 13, 2018 on an eleven-count cost bordering on forgery and he pleaded “not responsible”, setting the stage for the prosecution to show its case. The prosecution, by means of its counsel, T. N. Ndifon referred to as 5 witnesses and tendered a number of reveals which had been admitted in proof.

Delivering judgment in the present day by way of Zoom, Justice Okeke stated that “the prosecution proved past cheap doubt the offence of forgery towards the defendant in all of the counts.

Earlier than the sentencing was given by the court docket, S. S. Aribido, who held the temporary of T. N. Ndifon, made an software to the Court docket, praying the Court docket to order that Afaha restitute the sum of N22, 848, 450. 00 to the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron. Nevertheless, Mfon Ben, the defence counsel, prayed the court docket “to train mercy in sentencing him”.

Afaha was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on every depend with out an possibility of effective. The sentencing runs concurrently from the date of arrest. The Court docket additionally ordered that the convict shall restitute the sum of N22, 848, 450. 00 to the Maritime Academy of Nigeria which can function situation for his launch upon the completion of his time in jail.

One of many counts on which the defendant was convicted reads;

“That you simply, Charles Emmanuel Afaha “M” on or concerning the twentieth of October, 2016 at Oron, Akwa Ibom State, inside the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court docket did forge a doc to wit: Obinco Enterprises (Nig) receipt No. 0897 dated 20/10/2016, within the sum of N3, 384, 100 (Three Million, Three Hundred and Eighty-four Thousand, One Hundred Naira solely), presupposed to have been issued by Obinco enterprises (Nig), with intent that it could be acted upon as real and thereby dedicated an offence opposite to Part 1 (2) (c) of the Miscellaneous Offence Act Cap M, 17 of the Revised Version (Legal guidelines of the Federation of Nigeria 2004) and punishable below Part 1 (2) (c) of the identical Act”.

Afaha was arrested following a petition from the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, alleging fraud and misappropriation of public funds by the convict.

Investigation revealed that the convict, who labored within the Procurement Division of the Academy, made a number of retirements of money advance and likewise obtained big sums of cash from the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron’s account into his private account for the execution of non-existent initiatives. These funds had been retired by Afaha with a number of bill receipts hooked up to the Retirement of Money Advance memos, signed by him.

Additional investigations additionally revealed that the stated bill receipts hooked up to the Retirement of Money Advance memos by the convict, which amounted to N22, 848, 450. 00 (Twenty-two million, Eight hundred and forty eight thousand, 4 hundred and fifty naira) had been all cast by Afaha.