The Enugu State High Court, sitting in Agbani, Enugu State, before Justice U.J. Mogboh, has convicted and sentenced George Igwesi to seven years’ imprisonment for land fraud.
The suspect, alongside his company, Georgeann Enterprises Limited, was arraigned by the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on October 19, 2023, on two counts of theft and fraud, with a total sum of N11.4m involved.
In a statement on its verified X handle on Monday, the commission disclosed that Igwesi was apprehended on July 1, 2022, for swindling one Charles Okenwa out of N12m under false pretences. He claimed to own two plots of land at Amurri Road in Agbani, Enugu State, but investigations showed the land was not his. Igwesi failed to deliver the property or refund the money.
The offence was said to be contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.
The statement read, “One of the charges reads: “That you, George Amechi Igwesi and Georgeann Enterprises Limited, on or about the 1st day of July 2022, in Agbani Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State, by false pretences and with intent to defraud, obtained from Charles Emeka Okenwa, the sum of Eleven Million, Four Hundred Thousand Naira only (N11, 400, 000. 00), as payment for two plots of land, situated at Amurri Road, Agbani, Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State, under the pretext that the said land belongs to you and thereby committed an offence.”
The convict pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charges when they were read to him, setting the stage for his trial.
The trial of the case commenced on January 23, 2024, with the EFCC presenting three witnesses and several documents as evidence.
“Hearing of the matter began on January 23, 2024, and in the course of the trial, counsel for the EFCC, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE II Michael Ikechukwu Ani, presented three witnesses and tendered several documents which were admitted in evidence,
“Delivering judgment, Justice Mogboh said, “The prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt” and convicted the 1st defendant, Igwesi, on both counts. He was sentenced to seven years imprisonment without an option of a fine.
“The court also ordered Igwesi to perform community services for a period of six months at the high court premises in line with Section 392 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2007,” the statement illustrated.
The court ruled Igwesi to pay N7m in compensation to Okenwa while releasing the second defendant, Georgeann Enterprise Ltd.
“The court further ordered Igwesi to restitute the sum of Seven million Naira to one Charles Okenwa, the petitioner, having restituted part of the money during the investigation of the case. The court, however, discharged and acquitted the second defendant, Georgeann Enterprise Ltd,” the statement concluded.
PUNCH.
