In Port Harcourt, a Federal High Court has handed down a six-year prison sentence to George Turnah, the former managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, along with two others, for their involvement in obtaining money through fraudulent means.
George Turnah, who was once the political protege of former President Goodluck Jonathan, has been found guilty of these charges.
Justice A. T. Mohammed, presiding over the case, has also convicted and sentenced Ebis Orubebe and Uzorgor Chidebere for their roles in money laundering, conversion of funds, and forgery. These actions are in violation of Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and are punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
EECC spokesman Wilson Uwujaren made this known in a statement on Monday.
The defendants were originally arraigned in May 2017 and re-arraigned on January 25, 2021, on 23 counts bordering on obtaining by false pretence, money laundering and abuse of office to the tune of N2,894,500,000.
The statement said, “They were jailed on Thursday, September 7, 2023, having been found guilty of charges preferred against them by the Port Harcourt Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.”
According to the statement, they pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.
Justice Mohammed convicted and sentenced them to two years imprisonment each, starting from the date of their arrest.
The first defendant was ordered to pay N1,000,000 as an option of fine while the second and third defendants were to pay N500,000 into the consolidated revenue account of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Additionally, the fourth, sixth and 10th defendants were to return the sum of N180,000,000. Other restitutions include, N5,000,000 traced to the first convict, N100,000,000 traced to the sixth and 10th convicts, and N50,000,000 traced to Optimal Standard. They are to be forfeited to the NDDC.
Others are N46,760,843.61, N494,371.86, N13,000,000, and N23,500,000 to be forfeited to the NDDC by the ninth, fourth, second and third defendants respectively.
