The manager of Damaturu-based MBC Synergy Limited, Mohammed Baba Isah, was on Wednesday found guilty by a Yobe state high court over a case of forgery and criminal misappropriation amounting to N16m.
Isah was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and reportedly pleaded guilty to the charges preferred against him.
EFCC spokesman, Tony Orilade, in a statement, said Isah’s road to jail began on January 18, 2018.
He also disclosed that an unnamed complainant brought allegations of criminal misappropriation, parade of counterfeit documents, including secondary school result and possession of forged stamp belonging to some banks against him to the anti-graft agency.
Orilade added, “Investigations by the EFCC revealed that the complainant invested the sum of N25million in MBC Synergy Limited, where Isah works as manager for the purpose of doing telecommunications business, which the accused dishonestly misappropriated the sum of N16,463, 052 (Sixteen million, Four Hundred and Sixty Three Thousand Fifty Two Naira), out of the sum.
Count one of the charge reads: “That you, Mohammed Baba Isah being the manager of MBC Synergy Limited Damaturu, Yobe State, sometime in the year, 2017 at Damaturu, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court and in such capacity dishonestly converted to your personal use the sum of N16, 463, 052, 00 (Sixteen Million, Four Hundred and Sixty Three Thousand Fifty Two Naira) only, being the proceeds from the N25,000,000 (Twenty Five Million Naira) only, invested in the account of MBC Synergy Limited for the purpose of telecommunication business and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under sections 308 and 309 of the Penal Code, Law of Yobe State of Nigeria respectively.”
Further, it was learnt that in consideration of Isah’s guilty plea, the prosecution counsel, Khalid Sanusi made an application pursuant to Section 365 (b) of Criminal Procedure Code and Section 78 of the Penal Code, laws of the state, praying for an order of the court to commit the convict and make restitution to the complainant to the tune of the financial lost incurred.
But counsel to the accused, F.A Akinola prayed the court not to hand a severe sentence to his client to enable him source and pay the money back to the complainant.
At last, presiding Justice Ibrahim Wakil Isah remanded Isah in prison and adjourned the matter to February 19 for sentencing.
