Colonel get seven years for duping church of N34.5m
Federal High
Court sitting in Enugu has sentenced Col. Eugene Okpala (retd.) to
seven years in prison in a case of conspiracy, and obtaining money under
false pretences to the tune of N34.5m.
The convict duped a church, Dominion City Church, of the sum in 2010.
The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission said in a statement by its spokesman, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren,
that the 62-year-old convict was earlier slated for trial on Wednesday
but the case took a different turn when the retired colonel decided to
change his plea from “not guilty” to “guilty”.
Okpala was said to have in 2008,
approached one lawyer, Vincent Obetta, of Igwurube Chambers and a member
of Dominion City Church under the pretext of having large portion of
land for sale at N40m.
The complainant, Dominion City Church,
in need of a landed property to build their school, negotiated and
eventually bought the land for N34.5m. The church also paid additional
five percent of the sum, which is, N1.75m as agency fee to Igbwurube
Chambers.
Consequently, in September 2010, the
church started developing the land, but another lawyer came up to tell
them that the land belonged to one Chief Philip C. Asiodu.
The statement read in part,
“Investigation was launched into the matter and the convict was found
culpable and was arraigned. During trial, counsel for the EFCC, I. I.
Mbachie tendered 13 exhibits which were admitted in evidence and marked
as exhibit C1-13.
“Having changed his plea, the defence
counsel, E. O. Isinu, prayed the court to temper justice with mercy
saying, his client was a first time offender.
“Justice Yunusa consequently sentenced
Okpala to seven years imprisonment on each count preferred against him.
The sentences are to run concurrently.”
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