Impostor Bags 10 Years for Fraud
Olaoluwa Folalu
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has secured the conviction of one Esowane Henry Rotechi, who was prosecuted before Justice C.N Mbonu-Nweyi of Anambra State High Court, Onitsha on an 8-count charge that borders on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence and forgery, to the tune of N252, 000.00 (two Hundred and fifty two thousand naira).
The convict had pleaded not guilty when he was first arraigned on July 12, 2012.
Esowane’s travail of the convict with the law, according to the anti-graft agency spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, started on December 21, 2010 when he presented himself as the legal adviser to the Chancellor of Enugu State University of Technology, in which capacity he obtained N150, 000 from one Celestina with the promise to facilitate her admission into the Law Programme of the institution.
He was subsequently arrested on September 6, 2011, after the victim suspected that she had been duped.
After diligent prosecution by the EFCC, Justice Mbonu-Nweyi pronounced the accused guilty and sentenced him to 3 years imprisonment on count 1 for conspiracy and 7 years imprisonment on each of counts of 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 for obtaining money by false pretence.
The sentence will run concurrently.
