Court jails company director 10 years over N200m contract scam

Justice M.T. Mohammed of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, has convicted and sentenced Mr Jonathan Alatoru, Managing Director, Chemtronics Nigeria Limited and his company to 10 years imprisonment for conspiracy to commit a felony and obtaining money under false pretence to the tune of N200 million.

In another ruling, one Collins Samuel, an alleged fraudster who obtained $8,000 as COVID-19 benefit from the US State of Virginia, was convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment by Justice P. Mallong of the Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna, Kaduna State.

Another fraudster, Okoh Kingsley Chukwuemeka also bagged two years in prison for fraud.

Alatoru’s offence runs contrary to Section 1 (2) (c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act CAP M17 of the Revised Edition (Laws of the Federation of Nigeria) 2007 and punishable under Section 1(2) of the same Act.

Justice Mohammed convicted them on March 19, 2021, after pleading “guilty” to amended 11- count charges, following their arraignment by the Port Harcourt Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Based on the defendants’ “guilty” plea, prosecution counsel, J.N. Dogoyaro prayed the court to convict and sentence them, accordingly.

He was not opposed by the defence counsel, Max Ogar.

In his judgment, Justice Mohammed convicted and sentenced the defendants to three years imprisonment on counts 2 to 9 bordering on forgery and uttering.

They were also convicted and sentenced to seven years imprisonment on counts 10 to 11 bordering on conspiracy to obtain by false pretense and obtaining money by false pretenses.

The 10 years imprisonment run concurrently.

The court further ordered that the Corporate Affairs Commission should wind up the 2nd convict (Chemtronics Nigeria limited).

In addition, the convicts were jointly ordered to pay back the N200 million fraudulently obtained from Sterling Bank.

The convicts falsely presented a contract document: “Domiciliation of Payment In Respect of Chemtronics Nigeria Limited” to Sterling Bank as evidence of a valid contract from the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, to secure a loan to the tune of N200million.

The contract was initially awarded by the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs for a Skill Acquisition Centre in Iguelaba, Benin City, Edo State but was terminated in November 2011.

However, the convicts used documents of the voided contract to obtain the credit facility from the bank on June 1, 2012.