The ex-navy captain was convicted for presenting false documents to obtain N45 million from a bank.

CHUKWUEMEKA AYOMIDE

The Ikeja Special Offences Court has sentenced a retired navy captain Jerry Ogbonna to 13 years in prison for N45 million fraud.

Anti-graft agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, in a statement on Thursday disclosed that Mr Ogbonna used his company, Obyke System Consult Limited to obtain the sum of N45 million from Diamond Bank Plc by presenting false documents to the bank.

EFCC said the ex-navy officer presented a false document with claims that the money represented the mobilisation fee from the Department of Petroleum Resources of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

First arraigned in 2016, before Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of the Lagos State High Court, the case was struck out after efforts by the anti-graft agency to have him take his plea proved abortive.

However, he was re-arraigned in April 2019 by the EFCC on a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy and money laundering after the case was re-assigned to Justice Mojisola Dada.

The EFCC accused the retired captain of conspiring with his company to convert to personal use, the sum of forty-five million naira paid by the Central Bank in July 2015.

Mr Ogbonna’s actions violate section 409, 285(1) and 278(1)b)  and 5(2) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State No. 11 of 2011, the EFCC said.

In her ruling, Justice  Dada found the defendant guilty of the offences and sentenced him to three years imprisonment on count one; seven years on count two and three years on count five of the charge respectively.

She ordered Mr Ogbonna to make restitution of N45 million to Diamond Bank Plc and also directed that the company be wound up and pay a fine of N5 million.