A BUSINESS man, Mohammed Aliyu, based in Zamfara State has been sentenced to a two-year imprisonment for issuing a dude cheque.
A statement by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said Aliyu was convicted and sentenced by the Zamfara High Court, which sat in Gusau, the state capital on Tuesday.
According to the statement signed by Tony Orilade, acting Head of Media and Publicity at EFCC, the sentence was handed by Justice B.M.Shinkafi of the Zamfara State High Court who presided over the case.
Orilade explained that the defendant was arraigned on June 26, 2018 on a five-count amended charge, bordering on criminal breach of trust and issuance of dud cheque.
“Aliyu’s trouble began when the Kaduna office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, received a petition from one Mohammad Ibn Mohammed of Muhubbul Khairat Global Concept Limited against him,” he said.
“He alleged that sometimes in September 2016, Aliyu deceived him into supplying 40,000 litres of gas, valued atN5,354,000 (Five Million Three Hundred and Fifty-four Thousand Naira).”
The EFCC spokesperson said the complainant alleged that Aliyu had collected a cash sum of N2.5 million for personal assistant, totaling, N7.8 million.
“However, Aliyu paid the sum of N1.8 million leaving a balance of over N6 million and when he demanded for his refund, the defendant issued 15 post-dated Zenith Bank cheques, five of which were returned unpaid upon presentation. All effort to get the said money back, proved abortive,” the statement reads.
The defendant however, pleaded “not guilty” to the charge against him.
Orilade disclosed that in the course of the trial, the EFCC presented three witnesses, through its Prosecution Counsel P.C. Onyeneho, while the defence presented two witnesses.
He said Justice Shinkafi, in his verdict ruled that the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt the accused committed the offence.
Counsel for Aliyu, P.M. Lasco, prayed the court tempered justice with mercy as his client was “a first-time offender and has many dependents.
“The trial judge, thereafter, convicted and sentenced him to two years on each of the five counts, of the sentences are to run concurrently.” he said.
The judge further ordered the convict to pay the sum of N6 million as restitution to the victim.