Bureau de change operator jailed for defrauding Lebanese N11m
An Ikeja High Court today(Wednesday) sentenced a bureau de change operator, Mohammed Ali, to two years imprisonment for defrauding a Lebanese businessman of N11 million.
Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo handed the sentence to Mohammed Ali after convicting him on a four-count charge of obtaining money under false pretences.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Mr. Ali was arraigned on August 4, 2010 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He had pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The EFCC Counsel, Ben Ubi, submitted that the convict had sometime in 2008 collected N30 million from the Lebanese, Alli Jamal, for conversion into U.S. dollars.
Mr. Ubi said that Mr. Ali converted the money but diverted it for personal use, prompting the complainant to petition the EFCC.
He said that Mr. Ali eventually refunded N9 million out of the sum before he was charged to court.
The court held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubts.
Mr. Onigbanjo sentenced Mr. Ali to two years imprisonment on each of the counts.
According to him, the sentence is to run concurrently beginning from the day of the judgment.
