Cooperative Society CEO jailed for N2bn fraud

The Federal High Court sitting in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, has sentenced the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Micheno Multi-purpose Cooperative Society, Uno Michael Eke, to one year imprisonment for conspiracy, obtaining property by false pretence and money laundering to the tune of N2, 000,000,000.

Eke was jailed after pleading guilty to four-count amended charges preferred against him by the Uyo Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Count one of the charges read: “That you, Uno Michael Eke (being the President/Chief Executive Officer of Micheno Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society); Registered Trustees of Micheno Multi-purpose Cooperative Society, MMCS,  Aya Kanu Aya,  (Alias Mbakara) being the Vice President of Micheno Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society (now at large), sometime between June and August 2018 in Calabar within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired among yourselves to commit an offence to wit: obtaining property by false pretence and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

Eke pleaded guilty to the charges when they were read to him.

Following his guilty plea, the prosecution counsel, Joshua Abolarin, prayed the court to convict the Cooperative Society CEO based on the charges before the court.

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The defence counsel, Ime Umanah, informed the court of a plea bargain agreement before the court and prayed for a lighter jail term for his client.

The presiding judge, Justice Rosemary Oghoghorie, after considering the plea of the convict and evidence before the court, convicted and sentenced Eke to one year imprisonment or an option of fine of N2,000,000.

Justice Oghoghorie also ordered Eke to forfeit to the Federal Government 12 flats of 2 bedrooms each located by Goodluck Jonathan bypass, Calabar in River State; two plots of land at Adiabo Ikot Mboout Community Land in Odupkpani Local Government Area of Cross River State; two plots of land located at Akai Effa, Calabar in Cross River State; 18 self-contained flats located beside University of Calabar, Ita-Agbor, Calabar in Cross River State; and N10 million recovered during investigation.

The judge ordered that all monies recovered from the convict should be restituted to victims listed in all the charges.

The Star